The Bond
by Radar1388
Summary: As a Guardian, you shouldn't pick favorites among children. Too bad no one told Jack Frost. Brotherly fluff between Jack and Jamie, as well Bunny and Sophie bonding at times. No romance.
1. Tag

_*** I don't own "Rise of the Guardians" at all.**_

_I plan for this to be the first chapter of a collection of one-shots revolving around Jamie and Jack's brotherly bond. I know that a few authors have done something similar to this already, so if anyone has any problems with me posting these one-shots, let me know and I will have no problem taking this down. I don't want to make anyone angry. The one-shots contained in this story are completely from my imagination._

_Also, if anyone has any requests for certain scenes/situations between the two, just ask, it'll probably give me inspiration for your request as well as other chapters. In a separate fandom, I asked for one-word requests. Meaning, if you want me to make a chapter based around a single word, again just ask._

_Enjoy! By the way, I love constructive criticism._

* * *

Tag

"We've done nothing but talk about it!" Jamie exclaimed while the Guardian smiled on. "I can't believe we actually watched you guys defeat the Boogeyman."

"You know," Jack tilted his head when they climbed over a pre-frosted log. "I do believe we had help from a bunch of kids. Seriously, we really couldn't have done it without you guys."

The boy chuckled, ducking under a fallen tree. "Just so you know, if you and the other Guardians need our help again-"

"Oh, no way," Jack shook his head rapidly. "You going after an evil legendary figure is a one-time deal. We're not making a habit of this."

He frowned a little. "It was the coolest thing I've ever done, though. And no one got hurt."

"Hang on," Jack mumbled while balancing his staff on one of his shoulders. He gently grabbed under the nine-year-old's arms to pull him over a boulder. "Almost there."

"Can't we just fly?"

The winter spirit grinned at the change in conversation. "The wind isn't up for it right now. It's still tired from the fight with Pitch." He mentally slapped himself.

Much to his relief Jamie didn't press the matter about the battle. "What does the wind have to do with it?"

"It controls how I fly. I steer while the wind just keeps me in the air." Jack smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "You gave it quite the workout the other day. Poor Wind had to carry both of us."

"That's just because I'm all muscle." The child proudly stuck out his chest.

"Sure, if twigs had muscles." The Guardian pulled the boy closer and teasingly poked his ribs, a small chuckle emitting from both of them. "Tag, you're it!"

Jack took off through the woods, Jamie not far behind. Playful laughter filled the silent December evening. Jack often found himself slowing down only to speed up again so his friend could _just_ keep up with his light sprint. He halted within a small circle of trees.

"Alright, kiddo," Jack muttered, listening for the sound of the clumsy trudging of snow boots. "Where are you?" His knees bent, waiting for the ambush.

It never came. The woods were quiet, tree branches not even bothering to knock together. Jack stood straight up. "Jamie!" He called with an undertone of anxiety. Only an echo replied. "Great…" he whispered.

His breathing came and went in short gasps as he backtracked, trying to find Jamie's footprints in the snow. He even went all the way back to the boulder, but the tracks were not lining up. He banged his staff against the ground causing sharp, aggravated frost patterns to file over patches of grass and rock.

"Jamie!" Jack called again. _I never understood why parents became so frantic about losing track of their kid in a park._ He ran a hand through his white hair. _Now I do._

"Jack!"

He reeled to his left and made a beeline towards the small voice. Jack paused, taking in the sight of footprints and other indents in the snow. His eyes followed the tracks that tumbled haphazardly down a steep slope. Jack formed an icy trail that was slick enough for him to slide on. He came to an instant stop at the base of the slope and pushed a branch from his sight. Jack exhaled in sheer relief.

Jamie sat on the ice not too far away. The boy looked shaken, but otherwise unharmed. Jack finally took in the scene, smiling nostalgically at the lake.

"What happened to you?"

Jamie snapped his eyes to him. "I was chasing after you," the boy explained, positioning himself to stand up. "But I tripped and slid down the hill." Jack immediately asked if he was hurt. Jamie shook his head.

"Well, that's good, because we're here!"

Jamie tilted his head. "The lake? This is practically right behind my house."

"You said you wanted to explore so we took the long way." They both smiled right before they heard a snap. Jack turned trying to find the source of the sound.

Then came a familiar crack, one that sickened the winter spirit to his core. "Uh, Jack," Jamie uttered nervously. Splitting ice veined from underneath the boy's feet.

Shaking his head, Jack commanded him not to move as he made his way to the lake's edge. Swallowing, Jack held out his staff as far as he could. He realized Jamie wasn't even that far out. "Come on, kiddo. Just grab it." Hardly needing to be told twice, his fingers curled around the staff. Jack gave a quick jerk and sent the boy flying into a pile of snow. The landing wasn't that gentle, but he was back on solid earth.

Jack sighed, mentally patting himself on the back for appearing so calm.

The winter spirit walked over and knelt beside his friend. "Are you okay?"

There was a small pause. "Can we do that again?" Jamie grinned widely. "Minus the bit where I fall on the pond, that is."

Jack plopped on the snow with a laugh and propped his back against a tree. "I'll toss you into a snowbank again some other time. I did come here with a purpose."

Jamie scooted next to the Guardian, imitating his sitting position. Jack mussed his friend's hair, brushing off excess snow. For a long moment, the brotherly pair just sat there, putting relaxed gazes on the rising moon.

"I want to tell you about how I died." Jamie turned, gaping slightly.

"…And it all starts with my little sister."


	2. Arguments

Arguments

Jamie bit his lip. "This is…bad."

"Yeah," Jack whispered, kicking a piece of chipped, red wood that fell from the sleigh. "Good thing this is your fault and not mine."

The boy spun to stare at the Guardian. "Me?!"

"You're the one who wanted to see the reindeer so badly."

Jamie's eyes narrowed. "But you let them out of the stable. You're the reason why they escaped."

The winter spirit held up a finger, making Jamie frown. Jack always found a way to win an argument. "Hey, you wanted to get a closer look, and I was just helping with that request. Clearly, I'm the innocent one."

"The lead reindeer almost trampled me." Jamie tried to pin the blame.

"But he didn't," Jack had perched himself on the top of the staff. He let out a long whistle. "North isn't going to like this. Can't wait to tell him!" Jack jumped down and took a step towards the door.

Jamie paused. The child swallowed before slumping to the stone floor. "Great," Jack peered over his shoulder at the small voice. "Now I'm not going to get those new ice skates for Christmas. And I've been waiting _all year_ for them.

Jack's playful grin quickly vanished when he turned around to see Jamie's chin resting on his knees, a sad expression clouding his wide chocolate eyes. Jamie felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up to see Jack's eyes not far from his own, a gentle smile lighting the Guardian's features.

"I was just joking about ratting you out," Jack explained. "Fine. I'll take the blame on this one. Besides, if I hadn't been so excited, the reindeer might not have bucked and nearly stepped on you. And I did let them loose, after all." Jamie managed a knowing smile, letting Jack know that we wasn't too upset now.

Jack tossed his staff back to his right hand as he walked to the door. "I'll go get North so we can round up those reindeer. This isn't the first time it's happened." His pale hand rested on the doorknob right when he stopped.

"Hey, Jamie," The two boys looked at each other. "Didn't you tell me you asked for those new skates _last_ year?"

The boy smiled wide, exposing the toothless gap between his teeth. "Exactly."

Jack thought for a second before sighing in defeat. "That…was genius." Jack watched as Jamie triumphantly fist pumped. "I'll get back at you for this," The winter spirit couldn't help but present a proud smirk. "Just you wait."


	3. Bullies

_* For the record, these one-shots are almost never going to be canonically correct to a timeline. In other words, Jamie will probably remain around ten years old in almost every chapter. I'm just saying this at the expense of any time confusion. _

**Requested by**: _monkeygirl77_

Bullies

Jamie sighed in disappointment, idly kicking a mound of slush.

"Don't worry," Jack lightly tapped his staff against the boy's shoulder. "I'll be back on the solstice, unless the weather calls for a cold snap." He arched a mischievous brow.

"I know," The child muttered, drumming his fingers on the park bench.

"Let me guess," Jack sat next to him. "You love hanging out with the insanely awesome Jack Frost and you just _hate_ to see him leave." Jamie playfully rolled his eyes, cracking a grin. Jack returned the smirk, pulling him in for a hug. The pair stayed like that for a long moment.

"Be back next winter?" Jamie whispered into his shoulder.

"Hmm," Jack said, his nonchalance sounding a tad forced. "Well, I do plan to bring in a nice blizzard on the first day of winter for my best friend. Let's see if he still believes in me by next year."

Jamie pulled back. "Always." The Guardian met his chocolate eyes, the gaze of the moon above their heads strengthening the deal.

"Thank you," Jack's voice was unusually soft. He held his staff tighter while he stood. "When Easter comes, tell Bunny I said 'hi'." The child nodded. "Stay out of trouble, too."

"Who? Me?" Jamie looked as if he'd been wounded, but Jack produced a humorless chuckle.

Jamie was nearly as clumsy as his little sister. He also tended to be rather inquisitive, almost too curious for Jack's liking. Nearly being trampled by reindeer a few weeks back was a prime example.

"Promise?"

Jamie was about to make another remark before noticing the seriousness growing on his friend's features. "I promise." Jack was only reassured of his leaving when Jamie convinced him that he could make it back on his own.

With that, the wind swept Jack away through the streets of Burgess. The last, light snow of the season began to fall.

* * *

The nine-year-old yawned as he walked down the street, smiling as the moon seemed to guide him home. However, the grin quickly faded when he heard footsteps and raucous laughter behind him. Jamie groaned as two high schoolers started catching up to him.

"Hey, dude, check it out," One teenager said, adjusting his tossle cap. "It's that kid who thinks Jack Frost is real."

"Yo, kid!" Jamie tried to ignore them. "Where's ol' Jack? How come we can't see him." This was answered by even more hysterics.

While he thought they were distracted, Jamie quickly turned down an alley. The child swallowed when he met a dead-end, the same one where Pitch and his Nightmares had trapped him and the Guardians.

"There he is!" Jamie spun around to find the two teenagers striding towards him.

He inhaled bravely. "What do you want?"

"Easy, tiger," said the teen in the tossle cap as he clapped a harsh hand on Jamie's shoulder, pinning him against the bricks of the building. "We just want to meet your friend, Jack Frost. Wait a minute..."

The other teen opened his calloused hands in surprise. "He doesn't exist!"

Ignoring the mocks and jests, Jamie tried to squirm away, but to no avail. The teenager pushed him harder. "Where do you think you're go – Woah!" The tossle cap blew away as the brute fell to the ground, flat on his face. Jamie didn't even know he had been lifted until he, too, collapsed to the ground. Although, Jamie's landing was strangely gentler.

"You okay, man?" The one high schooler asked.

"Stupid ice…Where's my hat?"

Jamie stared at the intricate patterns of the frost. That sheet of ice wasn't there before. He blinked as a gust of wind suddenly poured into the alley, shoving and howling mercilessly at the bullies.

"What the _heck_?" One of the bullies exclaimed as the other stared at the younger boy. It looked as though the wind was avoiding Jamie, not even ruffling his hair.

"_You_!" The teenager pointed a rough finger in Jamie's direction. "You're doing this, aren't you?"

Both bullies struggled against the breeze's fury as they tried to run at the little boy. They didn't even manage five feet before a powerful gust lifted and threw them at their only exit. With a dull thud, they both landed atop the plastic lid of a dumpster.

"That's it," said the bully with the calloused fingers. He vaulted over the edge of the trashcan. "I'm out of here!"

With narrowed eyes, the other teenager turned his attention to Jamie, who was still sitting safely away from the chaos. Before either moved, a snowball smashed into the bully's face.

"Who…" Jamie pushed himself further against the wall as the guy's face turned beat red. "…threw that?"

"Jack Frost." Jamie offered with a knowing smirk.

Another snowball shot of the shadows and hit the teenager once again, effectively and slowly knocking him from the dumpster. Finally sick of the madness, the bully balled his fists before scrambling away to find his friend. Jamie wasn't left completely alone.

"Great work with those hooligans, Jamie," The boy looked up to see his best friend perched on the railing of a fire escape. "I'm very impressed."

Jamie finally relaxed as a set of bare feet pattered to him. "Thanks, Jack." The child grinned widely. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it, kiddo," Jack smiled, helping the boy to his feet. "So," he raised an accusing, yet lighthearted eyebrow in his direction. "You staying out of trouble, when does that come into effect?"

_* It should be noted that I was **not** trying to stereotype anyone who's in High School. I just wanted to include bullies who weren't adults, but weren't Jamie's age, either. Obviously, not all high schoolers act like that. Again, I was **not** trying to stereotype._


	4. Dark and Light

Dark and Light

"I just don't get it," North annunciated, walking under different shades of shadows. "How is he not here? This is _his_ lair."

"Maybe he ditched this place," Bunny offered, looking wearily at one of the many grey pillars. "If he hasn't been here in a while he's probably looking for new territory."

"It still doesn't explain how he got out," said the Tooth Fairy as she nervously paced about in the air.

Above his head, the Sandman formed the golden image of a Fearling. He frowned, then shrugged as the sand dissipated.

"…Translation?" Jack asked anyone. Jack was the only one not moving about the cavernous hall. Out of all the Guardians there, Jack was the most anxious, but he kept himself rooted. For good reason.

"As long as there is darkness, as long as children still fear, he will always exist." North fidgeted with one of his swords. "'Is both obvious and aggravating."

"So, how do we stop an enemy that just keeps coming back?"

Sandy cringed a little when Jack's voice unexpectedly raised an octave, but he knew why his words were rushed. Sandman's gaze drifted next to Jack. No one blamed the teen for wanting to get the heck out of there already. The dream giver silently exhaled, kicking a loose pebble far into the darkness. The stone bounced off a metal cage, the clang resonating sharply.

Jack immediately felt a small form jump sharply against his side. "The next time you ask your yetis to deliver me via sack," Jack had seethed at North. "Make sure they don't accidentally pack a stowaway."

Whenever a time had risen to where all the Guardians needed gathering, Jack never cared for the meetings to show up on time. Therefore, that situation combined with the recent emergency, North ordered his yetis to retrieve the winter spirit without delay, no exceptions. Unfortunately, Jack was taking his best friend flying at the time.

Jack pulled Jamie closer, always keeping a hand on his small shoulder. A set of fingers clung to his pant leg. As the Guardians conversed, Jamie's eyes wandered over Pitch's lair in both awe and intimidation. Ironically, though he had never actually seen the place, the boy swore he dreamt about it in a nightmare.

However, it wasn't long before Jamie's fright turned to curiosity.

"You've been spreading winter for a few weeks now," Bunnymund began. "Have you seen anything unusual, mate?"

"Nothing at all." This confused Jamie. The kid expected sarcasm, a wise crack. He didn't even call him a 'Kangaroo' like he normally joked. He just stood there rigid as a post. Jamie frowned before his overactive focus pulled him back to a certain platform that stood several feet away. Quirking an eyebrow, Jamie took a small step forward.

The child felt a tug on his nightshirt. "Jamie, I don't want you leaving my sight."

"I just want to look," Jamie tried to reason, looking into a set of steely cerulean orbs.

Jack shook his head. "It's too dangerous down here. You're staying near me." He paused before kneeling down to his level. "I promise you and I can go exploring once we get back to Burgess," Jack's gaze softened. "Truthfully, it's a bit risky for all of us to be here."

Jamie nodded in understanding, but… "I just want to see that globe over there." Jack glanced over Jamie's shoulder to see tiny, familiar lights shining on Pitch's version of the Globe of Belief. "Please." Jack instinctually made to refuse his requested, that is, until he looked at the boy. And he looked like he was about to burst.

Jamie had his small hands clasped together and his wide, tired eyes begged for his curiosity to be satiated. The winter spirit almost never denied his curious nature, so he faltered.

_This kid knows he's adorable, _Jack decided_. And he's using it as a weapon. _

He flexed his jaw before taking his hand off Jamie's shoulder. "Just the globe."

Jamie perked up. "Thanks Jack!"

Though his worry didn't leave, the corners of his mouth twitched. "No problem, kiddo. Have fun."

Jack started contributing to the conversation while keeping Jamie in his peripheral vision. The confusion continued, each Guardian questioning the Boogieman's whereabouts. Other than his lair, where else would he go?

"If Pitch can just hang around in the shadows," Jack speculated. "Then how often would he actually need to go home?"

"Well, that's certainly useful," Bunnymund scoffed. "Let's sift through every speck of darkness on the planet. We'll _probably_ find him eventually."

"Really? Let's hear _your_ better idea, cottontail." Jamie heard the jest, noticing that the Guardian was starting to go back to his usual demeanor.

The child looked away again, staring wondrously at the dismal globe. Bright, yellow lights shined and twinkled on almost every continent and island in the world. Jamie traced a finger over Antarctica before straining on his tiptoes to get a better look at North America.

"So, what do you think?" Jack asked as he walked up beside his friend.

Jamie shrugged. "Any idea where Pitch is?"

"We'll all be guessing until we actually find him. North said he's very weak. We don't have to worry much right now, but we'll be on our guard." Jack picked Jamie up and flew until they were perched on top of the globe. "There's yours, right there." In the top right corner of America, out of all the cluster of lights, Jack picked the one that sat almost directly in the center.

"This globe, and the one in North's workshop," Jack explained for the first time. "shows all the children who believe."

"With how many kids there are," Jamie said. "You think there'd be more."

"A couple thousands lights aren't enough for you?" The winter spirit joked. "Siblings often share lights. Yours used to be the only one on the globe, you know."

"It's just lucky you got there in time before I stopped believing."

Jack sighed, placing the back of his hand dramatically to his forehead. "All in a day's work for your big brother."

Jamie smiled, leaning against the Guardian. He stared at the seldom corners of the globe that didn't have lights. "Pitch will turn up eventually. Knowing you guys, you'll probably find him quickly."

"Rome wasn't built in a day, kiddo."

"It is if you build a small replica."

Jack laughed. "Touché."

"Jack," North called up to them. "'Is time to take Jamie home. We're regrouping at the North Pole."

Jack nodded once and placed Jamie back on solid ground. "How are we getting home?" Jamie asked when the other Guardians disappeared down one of Bunny's rabbit holes.

Jack pulled a glass orb from the hoodie's pocket. "This snow globe can teleport you anywhere in the world." He tossed it for Jamie to catch. "That one's yours, for emergencies only."

"So," Jamie elongated the word. "Say it's the middle of summer, it's very hot out, and I really need to find a perfect place for a snowball fight…"

"That…" Jack pointed accusingly at the child. "is the only exception."

They both cracked a grin. However, Jamie flinched sharply when a puff of dust crumbled from a pillar precariously leaning over their heads.

"Come on," Jack took Jamie's hand. "Let's get you out of here." The Guardian pulled out another snow globe and the town of Burgess appeared inside it. Jack shook it before smashing it, and a large portal opened.

_* Obviously, "Brothers" is still a story of one-shots. This chapter is just adding some plot to other future chapters._


	5. Drawing Board

Drawing Board

The boy huffed as he stepped back to try and admire his handiwork. His shoulders sagged despondently. So, for about the hundredth time, he tried to modify it. The window murmured under his fingertip, the city becoming clearer with every traced line. It wasn't the town he wanted to see, though.

Jamie sighed in aggravation before slumping to the floor, resting against the carpet and the bed frame. No matter what he did or how much he tried to recall, he just couldn't do it.

The nine-year-old stood and rested his forehead to the chill of the glass, eyes gazing at the snow forts him and his sister had made during the last hours of light that day. Jamie pressed the palm of his hand against the window to erase the frost. He looked away from the outside world for only a second. When he looked again a pair of cerulean orbs stared straight back at him.

Jamie jumped away from the window with a quick yelp. "Jack!" the boy exclaimed with a broad smile.

"Hey, Jamie," The figure stepped gracefully into the boy's room, staff leaning on his shoulder. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Jamie shook his head before rushing over to wrap his arms around the Guardian's waist. Jack sat down on his knees, hugging the child to his chest. "Good to see you, too, kiddo. By the way, I saw the snow forts. I'll certainly be looking for you and Soph if I ever need to build a fort for a snowball fight."

Jamie drew back and smiled in thanks. "Well aren't we quiet tonight?" Jack chuckled at the silence and ruffled his friend's hair. "You doing okay, Jamie?"

"Yeah," Jamie muttered. "Other than drawing, it's just been a pretty boring evening."

"A drawing? Can I see?" The boy's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he pointed at the window.

"Huh," Jack said with interest as he studied the doodle on the bottom pane. "Not bad."

The child sat on a chair, crossing his arms on the backrest. "That's Sophie's," Jamie said with a hint of jealousy. "Mine's above. It's not my best."

Jack scrutinized over the scrawl and hummed. The spirit stole a glance around the room, taking in the sketch paper and simple artwork that lined the walls. It was odd; Jamie's normally fond of everything that he draws.

"It's not as good as the one you drew."

Jack blinked in realization, but otherwise remained expressionless. "Well, of course it's not," He sauntered back to the window as Jamie groaned. Jack cracked a grin and set his staff on the floor before raising a hand up to the window. "It's still missing a final touch."

A second after Jack put his hands at its feet, the drawing of the rabbit sprang fervently onto his palms. Jamie sat up straighter and laughed when the bunny hopped around the room to its creator. It stared at Jamie for a long moment, ears pricking at the sound of the boy's amusement.

Jack turned at the sound of the bedroom door creaking. Much to his relief, Jamie's little sister walked in and _not_ his mother. It'd be a bit of a strange sight to see Jamie interacting with an imaginary flying rabbit

"Jack!" Sophie squealed joyously, but then her attention diverted to the small creature flitting and leaping about. "Bunny, bunny!" The little girl threw her hands to the air in pure delight, eyes twinkling behind her mop of blond hair. "Jack make bunny!"

"You do realize she thinks your favorite animal is a bunny now, right?" Jamie snickered, making the Guardian blanch.

* * *

After bringing Sophie's drawing to life and making it snow in her room, gold sand weaved its way through the window and fluttered above the little girl's head. With a yawn, Sophie's head slowly fell to the pillow. Wishing her a good night, Jack stopped the snow, switched her nightlight on, and padded across the hall. A wide grin spread across the Guardian's face when he entered.

White flakes fell gently and silently over the bed. Small, gold fireworks sparked right above Jamie. Jack walked over and sat on the blue comforter, watching his first believer dream. Both of their smiles nearly flew off their faces when the sand swirled and remorphed into Jamie having a snowball fight with the winter spirit. Jamie hummed in his sleep, grin never faltering.

Jack waved his hand and the snow ceased, the last of the snowflakes melting into the floor and rug.

Before leaving, Jack ran his pale fingers over the drawing that depicted Jamie and his friends when he went on that crazy sled ride through town. He let out a quiet chuckle.

"You can keep that drawing, you know," Jack turned at the drowsy voice. Jamie tilted his head off, rubbing a fist against his sleepy eyes. "You always look at that one when you visit."

"You added me into the picture," Jack gazed delightedly at the crudely drawn version of himself.

"You were there the entire time," Jamie remarked. "You can have that one."

"Thanks, Jamie." The Guardian took the tack from the wall, releasing the drawing.

As if it were made of precious glass, Jack delicately folded until it fit perfectly in the front pocket of his navy hoodie. When Jamie fell back asleep, the Guardian leapt out of the room, yet he didn't leave.

For many minutes, Jack perched himself on the tree branch just outside Jamie's window, staring at the drawing of the day that forever changed his immortal life.


	6. Sleepover and Video Games

_* I referenced "Mario Kart" in this chapter.** I don't own "Mario Kart" or anything related to "Mario".**_

**Requested by**: _JasmineD799_ and _dude_

Sleepover and Video Games

Tiny hands ripped the book from Jamie's lap.

"Bunny! Bunny!" Sophie squealed over her brother's protests. "Bunny's here!" The little girl pointed at the six-foot rabbit that leaned against the doorframe.

"Bunnymund," Jamie exclaimed as Sophie jumped into the Pooka's arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see how you ankle biters were doing," Bunnymund said. He handed the book back to Jamie who marveled at the size of his paws. "And I was hoping I could take your sister to the Warren for a bit."

"Sure," Jamie's face lit up. "Can I come?"

"Only if you want to worry an overprotective winter spirit," Bunny rolled his eyes. "Be my guest."

"Jack's coming?" His excitement almost flew through the roof.

"He heard your mum was going to be working a night shift," Bunny twitched as Sophie reached to tug at his ears, but remained patient. "So, he's coming to stay the night. Speak of the devil…" The autumn breeze rattled against the window moments before it opened.

"Hey-a, kiddies," Jack gave a crooked grin as he stepped away from the outside world. Jamie greeted the Guardian with the familiar embrace. "Long time no see, pal." Jack chuckled, holding him tightly.

"You shouldn't visit outside your own season, mate."

"Nag, nag, nag," Jack muttered as he stood. "Look who's talking, Easter Kangaroo. Fall can handle a bit of chilly weather."

Jack picked up his staff before Jamie could get a hold of it. The child snapped his fingers. Why didn't Jack ever let him just _hold_ it? It's not like he could use it anyway.

Jack chuckled. "Don't you have a Warren to go to?"

"Don't you have to babysit right now?"

Jamie groaned at the choice of words.

"How 'bout it, ankle biter?" Bunnymund turned to the girl. "Want to go paint some early Easter eggs?" Sophie hopped joyously. It was all the motivation needed for the two to finally jump down a rabbit hole.

Jamie made his way to a stack of old VHS tapes and DVDs to try and find a suitable one.

"You don't _have_ to babysit me, you know," The child glanced back to see Jack waltzing about the room as if he owned the place. "Mom's left me home plenty of times. She just started doing that this year."

Jack nodded. "All the same, I'm just being cautious. We still don't know where Pitch is. I don't want him going after you two."

"Sophie's no threat."

"Though that wouldn't matter to a guy like Pitch, Sophie probably wouldn't be his first target." Jack said, prodding his staff in Jamie's direction. "I'm just worried he'll hold a grudge against you. And frankly," he poked the child's belly, causing them both to chuckle. "You're not the most threatening thing out there, either.

"So," Jack clapped. "As my first sleepover, what do we do first?"

Jamie held up two jewel cases. "Movie or video games?"

* * *

"I'm still thinking of ways to get my revenge on you after the reindeer incident," Jack glared daggers at the boy. "You're not helping yourself, at all."

Jamie rolled on the couch, bursting with laughter. It had been going on for ten minutes straight. The fact that Jack couldn't go five feet without speeding over a bridge and into the ocean was oddly amusing. However, he dove into hysterics upon seeing the winter spirit's agitation, especially when he almost froze the TV.

"Jus-just hold the controller like a steering wheel," Jamie calmed himself. "You keep pointing it at a weird angle."

After moments of frustrated coordination, Jack blinked with a mutter of realization. The car in the game was actually responding perfectly to him. Jack gave a short victorious laugh. Jamie's grin bordered on devilish; the winter spirit was over two laps behind his eleven opponents.

"Hey, Jamie," Jack grumbled after his racecar suddenly exploded. The child snorted back his laughter the best he could. "Let's watch a movie."

"Okay," Jamie started flipped through the shelf's movie selection.

"And no horror films."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Yes, _mom_."

* * *

Something brushed against his shoulder. Jamie muttered and swat a hand at the air. His arm was pushed again. "Wha-"

"I thought you had to stay up all night for a sleepover."

Jamie yawned widely as Jack ruffled the child's hair. "Not if you have school in the morning." He paused to look at the pictures moving across the TV screen. It was coming to the end of the movie. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Jack asked curiously, munching on the last of the popcorn, his newfound addiction.

"Why do you mess with my hair?"

"Well, clearly a comb isn't doing anything for you, so it's not like I'm making it worse."

"No, I don't mind it, but why do you always do it?"

Jack hummed under his breath. He rested his staff on the coffee table before leaning back against the couch, lost in thought.

"I think…" His jaw flexed. "I think I used to do the same for my little sister." Jack paused as Jamie stared intently. "That's just a theory, of course. My human memory is a bit clearer now, but there are still barriers."

"Couldn't you just go to the Tooth Palace and look at your baby teeth again?"

"Tooth fairy magic tends to only be good for a single memory. Otherwise, you could look at the past whenever you wanted."

"So, it's like they have to recharge?"

Jack scratched his temple. "In a way, but it might be decades before I can look at the memories again."

Jack looked forward just in time to see the movie credits roll. For a moment he stared distantly, thinking about the lake behind the house, about when he and his beloved sister went ice-skating. Also thinking back to the incident in Antarctica, he recalled the grateful euphoric 'click' of those memories returning.

"Jamie." There was a pause. "Jamie?" Jack's heart skipped a fearful beat, and looked to his side.

Jack sighed and smiled fondly as Jamie slept upright against a cushion. He surprised himself further when he lacked the hesitation to bring the child into his arms. The boy didn't utter a sound as he buried his face in the blue sweatshirt.

The Guardian blinked while clearing his throat. For a fraction of a second, he felt scared, needlessly frightened that Jamie had forgotten.

Had stopped believing. Jamie muttered in his sleep, causing Jack to involuntarily run a hand through the boy's hair.

This was why. After years of loneliness and solitude, now that Jack could reach out and touch someone without the fear of being walked through like a ghost, it was the most incredible feeling he'd had in centuries.

"Hey, Jamie," Jack whispered softly in his friend's ear. "Question..."

Jamie's chocolate eyes fluttered before looking up at the Guardian.

Jack opened his mouth. "Are you supposed to have mind-bending epiphanies during a sleepover?"

* _Just letting you guys know, I started posting a chapter story companion to "Brothers". The story is called "Reapers Realm"._

_Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Again, I'm still taking one-word requests._


	7. Too Late

Too Late

A yelp of fear sent Jack barreling through the Warren, leaving sparks of energized frost in his wake.

"Woah!" Jamie stumbled back into a bright patch of grass.

A gust of air separated rising pollen as the winter spirited landed in front of Jamie, staff aimed directly at the enemy. Only it wasn't an intruder, but one of the main sentinel eggs.

"Wait," Jamie realized. "Doesn't that thing belong to Bunny?"

Out of the very few times Jack chose to ignore Jamie, now would be one of them. It didn't matter to him. Friend or foe, anything that posed a threat to the boy was something Jack had zero patience for. The sentinel stepped nearer causing Jack's staff to turn an angry azure.

"Hey!" A voice shouted as Bunny hopped to halt at the edge of the glade. "Easy, big fella," Bunny raised his paws to reason with the sentinel. He pointed at Jack and Jamie. "They're friends...One of 'em is, at least." The rabbit smiled teasingly, winking at Jamie.

"Why, Bunny," Jack gasped, dramatically gripping his heart. "Not a friend? Shame on you. You might give this kid self-esteem issues." The Guardian poked his weapon in Jamie's direction. Bunny rolled his eyes while Jamie just chuckled, happy that his friend was loosening up.

Just like that, the sentinel's face spun from angry to happy-go-lucky before lumbering off to continue its watch.

"What happened?" Tooth asked as she and Sandman drifted to them, North not far behind.

"Sorry about that, mates," Bunny scratched his neck as Jack helped Jamie to his feet. "My sentinels aren't used to children in the Warren. Even after Sophie found her way here last Easter they're still not quite sure what to make of youngsters."

Said little ankle biter appeared and happily ran over to her favorite bunny. Sophie excitedly held up a dandelion wrapped in dirt and mangled weeds.

"Just…don't let this happen again." Jack said. Bunnymund nodded before returning full attention to Sophie, commenting on the beautiful flower.

"Ooh," Sophie marveled at a pristine feather none too gently plucked from Tooth. "Pretty."

From a distance, North and the crew curiously watched Jack and Jamie race and romp in one of the meadows. All was silent for a moment, everyone forming similar thoughts. Sandy and Bunny exchanged questioning gazes.

"Still thinking about it, mate?"

North scratched his beard. "He technically knows already."

"But not of the potential," Tooth added, rubbing the plucked spot on her elbow. "Or the possible danger."

With all the chaos Pitch Black had created, when nearly all the lights went out, it was during that fateful Easter did the Guardians notice it right off the bat.

North recalled how Jack immediately acted around his first believer, playfully nudging him as if he had known the kid all his immortal life. North also remembered snooping in on the various visits and play sessions that followed.

Their snowball battles were good-natured, but sometimes rough. The children of Burgess often threw snowballs with enough force to be playfully shoved to the ground. Mind you, Jack was the cause behind a majority of these lobs. The winter spirit was fast and agile, never giving anyone a chance to peg him, except for Jamie.

Grinning even with the expectation of vengeance, Jamie would clumsily sprint away as the Guardian hurled the lumps of snow at him with direct hits. _Yet, he would never knock him over,_ North noted every time, before returning back to the Pole. The Guardian hardly thought much of it until Jack took Jamie to the North Pole for one of their regular visits.

At the beginning of every year, the yetis were more relaxed in their work. They were not as energized and didn't mind being careless here and there. Knowing their stubbornness issues at that time North didn't _have_ to correct them.

A yeti had just finished melting and hardening an elegant green vase a little girl in Texas had requested the previous year for her mother. The piece was simple enough and could easily be remade if necessary.

Failing to look down, the yeti tripped over a box of children's books and smashed the vase against a handrail, but it didn't stop there. Large wedges of glass sailed through the wooden bars and plummeted down to the lower deck. Whatever the reason this time, Jamie paused to gawk at something, stopping directly in the glass' trajectory, too distracted to look up.

The child let out a sharp gasp as Jack snagged his small waist and flew him out of the way. They both looked as the glass showered and scuffed exactly where Jamie had been standing. Keeping him in his embrace, Jack needlessly checked his friend over.

Then, his jaw set.

Jack glanced up at the main deck where a guilty yeti leaned over the rail.

"What…" Jack began before his voice rose to an unexpectedly loud volume. "the heck were you _thinking_!" Jamie shielded his ears. This outburst had brought North from his main workshop.

"He was standing _right there_," The winter spirit continued to scold. North even flinched at the tone. "He could've been hurt because of you!"

The next morning, the kiln for melting the glass was covered in a layer of ice about seven centimeters thick.

That particular incident made North's mind race ever since. True, anyone would've had the same reaction, but Jack rarely yelled at such a volume. Also, in an effort to keep him as far from the workstations as possible, he didn't allow the boy to see the Globe of Belief, one of Jamie's favorite wonders in the factory. Jack never liked denying those big brown eyes.

"Hmm," North muttered, capturing the other Guardians' attentions.

Jack and Jamie were engaged in a game of tag with one racing to get away from the other. Just as Jamie started to breath heavily, the Guardian snatched him up, hovering just a foot above the ground.

"You're it!" Jack announced as Tooth laughed endearingly. "Easy, kiddo," Jack chuckled a bit uneasily when Jamie tried to jump from his arms to the ground. "Let me put you down first." Jack didn't take his hands off the kid until his feet were firmly planted. The game continued.

Jack acted as playful and mischievous as ever around his fellow Guardians as well as his group of believers in Burgess. His personality changed aside from one exception. Over the course of several months, when Jamie was around, the winter spirit gradually became more alert and careful. Wherever his friend was, he was there too, as much as he could outside the winter months. If Jamie ever stopped or tripped during a play session, Jack was right there, only seldom making a sarcastic comment and, on some occasions, fussing over the child like a worried parent. Jack also found himself unable to resist his adorable charm, making snow days, flying, and covering windows with frost whenever Jamie pleaded.

"You're right, Sandman," North glanced back at the golden images above the little man's head.

"We warned him," Bunnymund agreed, hopping over with Sophie clinging to a back leg.

"Uh, Bunny," Tooth scoffed. "Speak for yourself."

"Jack Frost should not be picking favorites among children, but 'is too late, now." North wiped imaginary sweat from his eyebrows.

"I think," North continued. "It's time to tell him."


	8. Summer Birthday

_* I will be continuing the chapter "Too Late", but I couldn't resist posting this one first. Also, I referenced the book "They're Out There - Unexplained Phenomena" that was seen in "Rise of the Guardians". **I don't own "Rise of the Guardians" and I don't own "They're Out There - Unexplained Phenomena".**_

_For clarity, this one-shot is set a few years before the movie._

Summer Birthday

"…Happy Birthday to you!" A chorus of applause and the playful shouting of friends followed.

"Happy birthday, dude," Caleb clapped his friend over the shoulder. "Make a wish so we can go swimming already!"

The boy nodded at this as he leaned over the cake.

"Easy, dear," The mother hurried to brush her son's unruly hair away from the flames. "I know I forgot the tiki torches this year, but that doesn't mean you have to take their place."

A warm summer breeze rippled the pool water and trees, coming in for a smooth caress against Jamie's forehead.

"Come one, Jamie," Pippa jumped in excitement, ready to taste his mother's famous butter cream icing. "Blow them out!"

Jamie drew back, pressed his lips to form an 'O', and exhaled sharply, blowing out all five candles.

"What did you wish for, sweetie?"

"It won't come true if I tell." Jamie sang and grinned as if he made the cleverest comment of the century. In fact, he might've heard a ghostly laugh in the back of his mind, too.

His mom smiled warmly as she began to remove bits of wax and candles from the cake. "You know, your friends are going to burst if you don't get in that pool soon. We'll let you kids know when it's time to serve the cake." Then, she turned and walked towards a garbage bin.

Jamie's smile slipped. He knew he shouldn't feel ungrateful during his birthday, but he couldn't help but pass a disappointed gaze over the pastry.

The cake was gorgeous! Covered in brightly colored garnish, the various shades of food coloring made the deep blue of a small pond in the corner, the yellowish tint of faux beach sand around the cake's edges, and icing as green as summer grass spelled out 'Happy 5th Birthday!'.

That's just it, though. It's a_ summer_ cake meant for a _summer_ birthday. Very fitting, yet still not right. Jamie sighed heavily before clambering off the picnic bench. He tossed his shirt aside and headed to the pool.

* * *

"Calm down everyone. The birthday boy gets the first slice. You deserve it considering I'm this close to eating it all," the mother laughed, gently patting her already-showing belly.

Jamie put on a smile and rested his elbows on the picnic table. However, he couldn't help but run an impassive finger over his new book titled "They're Out There – Unexplained Phenomena". It was a great gift, courtesy of Claude, but the one thing he really wanted, the single present he wished for every year for his birthday would never come.

His mother raised the knife over the cake, a long shadow casting over her and the rest of the party.

As a large cloud blocked out the sun another breeze came, wafting the cake's delicious aroma over the small crowd. Jamie was pleasantly surprised when it felt cooler. The trees bustled a bit more, raising goosebumps on Jamie's arms. _A _lot_ cooler,_ he thought. Jamie looked curiously at his friends who were all dying to have a slice of cake. Were they not cold, too?

"I love the sprinkles, Mrs. B." Pippa squeeked. The mom furrowed her brows; she hadn't used any sprinkles. "It makes it look like there's frost on the pond." The little girl pointed to the water design on the cake.

When Mrs. Bennett looked closer her hand suddenly flew to her mouth and she stepped back. Everyone immediately peered at the cake before they all joined the gawking.

A thin layer of frost was sliding over the entire cake, curling up and around until it shined like freshly fallen snow.

No one dared to say a word; they just continued to stare. Of course, Jamie was marveling too, but at something else.

Jamie could feel the drastic drop in temperature and could see the haze of his breath. His instinct to go retrieve a sweater were quickly suppressed as the wind flicked the paper plates and napkins from the table. There it was again! That comical, ghostly wisp of a chuckle that rode joyously along the breeze.

_No way!_ He was just imagining things. The wind can't laugh.

Much to his dismay, whatever laughter he heard was immediately muted, as if it never even existed.

Jamie's excitement returned, though, as a sharp crackling resounded.

Everyone flinched out of their shock. By the time they turned to stare dumbfounded at the pool, its waters were completely frozen. Jamie's twin friends leapt off the bench at the same time to go tap the icy surface.

"It's solid as a rock!" Caleb exclaimed with as much astonishment as a six-year-old boy could muster.

Jamie stood beside them, eyes winding and tracing over the most beautiful frost patterns he had ever seen. Every now and then he would have to find a new pattern due to the snow that came and covered the lines.

Jamie stopped breathing.

_…Snow!_

"Oh my-" Pippa's father had to lean on a tree for support, his words drowned out by the children's cheers and laughter.

Snowflakes the size of marbles started drifting softly over the park. It only took minutes for the grass to disappear and an all out snowball war to break loose. It was kids versus adults and no one cared who was winning or losing.

Jamie took refuge near the picnic table. The largest smile ever to grace his features may as well touched his ears. Laughing exuberantly, he snuck a peek over the tabletop to get another look at the cake. Reaching forward, he drew a simple smiley face in the frost before licking icing from his fingertip. He chuckled again.

The wind abated, but the snow fell harder, more abundantly, as if responding to the boy's happiness.

"Best summer birthday ever!" Jamie decided as an unusually intricate snowflake veered and landed on the very tip of the child's nose.

_* There's more meaning in this chapter than meets the eye. If anyone can tell me the almost alternate meaning, I'll...give them a cookie! Anyway, hope you liked it!_


	9. Way Too Late

_*** Please read this** (please bare with me):_

_I technically made a reference to another ROTG fanfiction called **"To Fall And To Rise"**. There was a concept in that story that inspired me to write this one-shot, with permission from the author (**Hlbur14**), of course. In my one-shot(s), though, the concept is going to be slightly different._

_Again, I do have the author's, Hlbur14, permission to use that bit of concept from his/her story. I am not stealing anything from him/her. However, if any of you guys out there have any protest to this one-shot, I will have no problem completely removing it._

_By the way, the story **"To Fall And To Rise"** is really fantastic, I highly recommend reading it!_

_Also, I referenced "The Guardians" book series._

_**I do not own "To Fall And To Rise" and I do not own "The Guardians" book series**._

Way Too Late

"Get. Out…" Jack seethed. "of my way, rabbit!"

Bunnymund raised his paws to reason with him. "Easy, Jack," He backed away some, causing a pair of shingles to tumble from the roof to the ground. "Just think for a second…"

"Winter began over three weeks ago," Jack said, gripping his staff tighter. "And you're saying I can't even _visit_ home?!"

"You're not listening to us, Jack," Tooth reasoned, floating behind the winter spirit.

"Right," Jack scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You'll let me go home, but you won't let me see Jamie."

Then, Bunny saw the icy flash in those cerulean orbs, the way they sparked at the mention of the child's name. "Don't you think it's dangerous," Bunnymund offered. "To be spending this much time with him?"

"Pitch isn't our only enemy," Jack spun to face the fairy. "There are others who would think nothing of harming Jamie because he means something to you."

Jack tried to protest over the horn honk from a car in the street below. "We just think you should distance yourself from him, mate." Not wanting to hear further, he crouched to jump into the freedom of the sky. "For both of your own good."

"Think of Jamie's safety." Her words made him stop. Jack straightened up, indirectly looking at Tooth.

Sighing, he jumped from the building to let the wind carry him all the way to the pond in Central Park. The ice strengthened and made a frosted platform under his bare feet, a trail of intricate frost designs fanned out as he walked on the pond's surface. Tooth floated towards him and Bunny perched himself on the rail of the stone bridge that stretched over the water.

Jack stole a look at the moon. "I-" He finally began. "I don't know what's going on." The two other Guardians exchanged glances, but not out of confusion. "I mean," Jack started going in circles, frost and ice crackling with his pace. "I act normal outside of Burgess. Playful, carefree…"

"Mischievous, annoying?" The rabbit finished.

The winter spirit ignored the jests. "It's the same thing when I'm around Jamie just…Everything feels enhanced or stronger or something." He groaned and looked at his friends. "It's really weird to explain."

"Well," Tooth tried. "What is Jamie to you?"

His face lit up. "You're kidding? That little kid is like the brother I never had. I just…act differently around him, like a parent or..." Jack paused. "Why do you two keep looking at each other like that?"

The other Guardians stared at Jack before Tooth sighed. "Bunny?"

"Yep," The rabbit twitched an ear. "I think he ought to know."

"Know what?" Jack took his staff from his shoulder.

"Do me a favor, mate. Go towards the shore." Jack didn't budge. "Have I ever gave you reason not to trust me," He stopped. "Recently?"

Humming, Jack finally waltzed to the pond's edge in front of a tree.

"Good," Bunny nodded in approval. "Fellas?"

That's when Jack's eyes widened and he would've made a break for it if two yetis hadn't caught the scruff of his hoodie. He shouted furiously before being shoved into a red sack.

* * *

"Why do you always do that?" He growled at North. "One of these days I'm going to accidentally freeze those yetis."

North chuckled as he inspected a small dog figurine made of ice that looked strangely like Jamie's dog, Abby. "If they give you time to react." He pulled out a wooden barstool and slid it in Jack's direction. "Sit! We have much to talk about."

Jack leapt up and crouched on the soft, red suede of the seat, hooking his staff around the backrest. "Jack," North peered at the spirit's ankles. "Control emotions."

Jack looked down to see sharp icicles forming beneath the metal of the stool. He sighed and the ice stopped growing.

"That's one thing I actually want to talk to you about," Jack admitted. "The last time I had problems controlling my powers was over two-hundred years ago. And that was when I was just starting out with them."

"So, Jack," North said, completely ignoring his statement as he placed the delicate little statue on a cluttered worktable. "How is Jamie doing?"

"No idea. I've been trying to see him for three weeks now, but Tooth and Cottontail won't let me. It's kind of driving me crazy at this point."

"And that is your answer," North waved a broad hand in his direction. "You cannot control powers because you are irritated." The Guardian leaned in until their noses almost touched. "Because you cannot visit Jamie."

"I'm," Jack drawled out the word. "beginning to gather that. Which reminds me, can I borrow a snow globe?"

"You can go to Burgess later, tell that to the others if they get in your way," The floor complained as North dragged out another chair. "But for now, we talk."

Jack groaned, sliding to sit correctly in his seat. He hated sitting still for too long.

"Tell me," North spoke softly after a moment. "Do you…act differently around Jamie?" Jack perked, and nodded. "Do you love the boy?"

Jack almost blushed at the way his friend worded the sentence before he held up a pale finger. "First off, the kid's nine years old. Second, he's like a little brother. Nothing _at all_ further from that."

"Calm down, Jack," North's laugh bellowed. "Even if it was further, what I am about to tell you would not be altered." Jack sat up straighter, listening intently. "Do you know why we Guardians distance ourselves from children?"

"Because you're too busy?"

"Well, that," North shrugged. "And also for our sake and there's." Jack blinked and North could tell he wasn't following. Without looking, North shoved scraps of blueprints and paper away to finally reveal a facedown picture frame. He passed the photo to Jack who speculated with curiosity.

"That is Katherine," North explained just barely above a whisper. "She was very dear to me. She saw me for who and what I really was," he paused with a fond smile. "And all that I ever would be. I grew much attached to her, perhaps too attached."

"What happened to her?" Jack asked, not looking up from the picture.

His sigh filled with grief. "I never knew. I suspect, like all precious living things, she died." He shook a rag out of a side-pocket and wiped his face before any form of tears could spill. "This knowledge, of course, would be a lot less painful if I hadn't bonded with her."

Jack finally tore his gaze up to his friend's eyes. "Bonded," he repeated, not being able to help the small, but sympathetic chuckle. "You make it sound like you made some weird, mystical ritual with her."

"Well, certainly not a_ weird_ ritual," North copied the laugh before uncrossing his legs. "Has no one explained this to you?"

Jack shrugged. "You formed a _bond_ with someone."

"Do you know why Bunny likes to spend so much time with Sophie?"

"Because he's jealous of me hanging out with Jamie so much?" He grinned cleverly.

North shook his head, not smiling. "Bunnymund desires to spend time with the child because he's already bonded with her." Jack just stared. North scooted his chair closer to Jack. "Have you ever felt very protective over little Jamie," North asked. "Almost needlessly?"

"Yes," Jack answered, not even thinking about it.

"What of your emotions? Around Jamie, have you ever felt sad one minute then utterly and completely energetic the next?" Jack nodded slowly. "Also, suppose the season changes and you must leave until next year, not that you follow that rule very well." Jack laughed with little regret and put his hands behind his head. "When you must leave him do you not feel irritated, angry?"

"Are you stalking me?" Jack asked with a hint of amusement, and slightly creeped out.

"I don't have to," North gestured to the other ice figurines on the shelf, all of them exact replicas of their fellow Guardians. "None of us do, for we all have done at some point." Accidentally severing the icicles from the stool, Jack finally stretched his legs to jump on the table to inspect his own model.

"Each of us," North continued. "had or has formed a special relationship with a child known as bonding, which is why we bury ourselves in our work, so we never have to go through it again."

"Wait a minute," Jack spun on his heels with an incredulous expression. "You don't hang out with kids anymore because you're _afraid_ of being friends with them?"

"There is more to it than that, Jack," North's voice rose slightly. "This is not just any old friendship. Bonding is a process entirely connected through magic. 'Is something that almost every immortal creature does once or twice in their life."

"What does bonding do?" Jack leaned against the wall.

"What has been happening to you nowadays?" North stood and walked over to him. "Mood swings? Over protectiveness?" He stopped next to Jack. "Every decision or plans you make you immediately add Jamie into consideration, yes?"

Jack nodded before realization widened his eyes. "Are you saying I _bonded_ with Jamie?"

"You are in the_ process_ of bonding with Jamie, nothing is permanent…yet."

The younger Guardian pushed back from the wall. "So, what's the difference between being friends and being bonded?"

North paused to look at the picture of Katherine and Jack followed his gaze. "Being bonded is an involuntary instinct immortals possess," he explained, briefly reminiscing at the memories of Katherine. "You end up exchanging each other's emotions and thoughts, have a strong need to be near each other, and in some cases," he eyed Jack. "The capability of sharing powers."

"Sharing magic," Jack shook his head. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Of course," North walked and propped the picture next to the nesting doll that represented his center. "Jamie's too young for that. He's not yet strong enough to bare any of your magical abilities."

Jack tried to shake his head again, snowy hairy waving in front of his dizzy eyes. "And," He blinked. "When is this process done?" The room filled with silence.

North turned with narrowed eyes and stalked until he towered over Jack. "Both of you must come to terms with being bonded, but I do not recommend it," he sighed. "Once you have bonded with him, he becomes your entire responsibility, becomes part of _our_ world. None of that is law, but involuntary.

"When you bond, that child stands out like sore thumb. He will be very noticeable by everyone in our world, good _and_ bad. Yes, you are strengthening your connection with Jamie, he will be able to see and believe in you until the day either of you die. However, you are also making him giant target for your enemies.

"Bonding makes both of you stronger, but 'is also curse." North fisted a hand, trying to predict Jack's next reaction. "If you choose not to bond, that is wise, but you must distance yourself immediately from Jamie."

Jack flew from the table and over to the window. He unlatched it, the wind forcefully blowing it open. "I need to think for a moment," Jack closed his eyes as the blissfully frozen breeze caressed his face.

North waited, leaning against the table's edge. He watched the emotions flicker over the winter spirit's features. It was such a mix, too: confusion, anger, exhaustion, and just overall conflict.

"He's my friend," Jack whispered to himself. "My first believer."

Empathy rose into North's throat. After three-hundred long, lonely years, the boy finally received his first believer, his first _true_ friend, and now he may never be able to interact with him as much as he wanted anymore.

"I cannot tell you what to do," Jack felt a large hand clap his shoulder, but didn't seem deterred by its heavy weight. "But," North placed a glass object in Jack's front pocket. "I feel that Jamie should be part of this decision, as well."

After a couple seconds, Jack shut the window and took the snow globe from the pocket of his hoodie.

* * *

Jack switched off the lamp, staff in hand and ready.

He sat on the edge of the bed as Jamie's chest silently rose and fell. Jack reached forward and ran a hand through the boy's messy hair. Jamie mumbled in his sleep before rolling over to face Jack, letting a sleepy hand fall on the spirit's outstretched sleeve. Jack recoiled from the bed as if burned.

Jamie's eyebrows knitted together and he uttered a soft, confused little sigh. Jack's insides twanged dramatically at this. Every fiber of him screamed to go to Jamie, to comfort him again.

_No._ Jack thought. _I can't let the bond get stronger_. "I'm sorry Jamie," he whispered. With a silent wave of the staff, a steady fall of snowflakes filled the room.

Sure, he planned for more visits after this, but if Jack wanted to be certain to never bond with him, he had to get away, even for just a while, maybe until the last leg of the season.

Jack backed away, determined to look at his brother – er, friend – for as long as he was visiting. Both his heart and brain berated, yelling at him to stay, but as soon as the spirit's hand touched the frosted window, he gasped, breathing heavily as if he just ran a mile.

A chord inside him – where exactly? He wasn't sure – snapped like a guitar string. Whatever connection, whatever bond he began to form with Jamie, was gone. Vanished.

Jack staggered, leaning against the window. Groaning, he unhooked the lock and asked the winter wind to carry him. He didn't even take a step outside.

"Jack?" His breathing stopped.

Closing the window, Jack clamped his eyes before reeling around to face the bed. Jamie, his precious, most devoted believer, sat up and yawned to reveal the gap between his front teeth.

"Thanks for the snow day yesterday," Jamie smiled.

"Yeah," Jack chuckled emotionlessly. "No problem." Jamie tilted his head, silently asking Jack to come sit with him. This was more evident as Jamie moved over a little.

"I-" Jack tried to step back, but his feet did the exact opposite. The next thing he knew he was sitting on the bed, sidling next to his best friend.

Jamie's grin widened before he hugged the Guardian's waist. "It's great to see you, bro."

"Yeah," Jack cleared his throat. "Good to see you, too." Once again, his own body betrayed him as he wrapped his arms around the child. Jamie nuzzled his face into the blue hoodie.

Jack felt the severed chord inside him twitch and he had the strange notion to ask a random question.

"What's bonding?" Jamie suddenly asked and Jack realized it was Jamie's question, not his._ How on Earth does _that_ happen,_ Jack asked himself.

"Um, well-" Jack started.

"I had a dream," Jamie explained as Jack pulled the blanket over the boy to coax him to sleep. "You and North were in the workshop, talking about some stuff. There was a picture of a girl called Katherine, there were ice sculptures of the Guardians, and then you guys started talking about 'bonding'."

Jack grit his teeth together. _Sandy… How did he even know..?_

"It was just a dream, Jamie." Jack waved it off.

"But it seemed so real."

"I know, but-"

"It was real, right Jack?" Jamie sat up again. "I didn't _just_ dream it. You and North _did_ talk about bonding, right?"

Jack looked into his eyes for a long moment before sighing. "You listened to everything in that dream?" Jamie nodded. The chord inside him jolted again.

Jack knew he wouldn't forget the dream so easily. The child was going to press the matter until Jack gave him a proper explanation.

Jamie's eyes fluttered when he looked at the time on his alarm clock. "We'll talk about this later," Jack said, shifting to get up. "For now, bedtime."

The two exchanged genuine grins as Jamie took the blanket, pulled it back over him, and used Jack's chest as pillow. Jack sighed before resting a hand against Jamie's back.

"North said it should be my decision, too," Jamie whispered. The child nodded once before his eyelids slid.

When Jamie fell asleep, Jack leaned over. Before he could set his staff down a glow of bright blue flashed from the bottom tip to race up and swirl around the hook. Shocked, Jack let the staff clatter to the floor. He exhaled again as an odd wave anxiety overcame him. Then, he blinked his cerulean orbs and the snowflakes that filled the room instantly disappeared.

Jack felt it inside him again and he had to suppress a strained _'oh, no'_. The chord seemed be winding itself up, coiling and curling until it repaired the break. Jack gasped as emotions rammed back to him like a freight train. His head fell back against the headboard with a dull thump and he wiped the foreign beads of sweat from his neck.

"What…" Jack's words fell as a faint light filled a corner of the room. "Sandy!" He half-whispered half-yelled. The little man smiled and waved from the window before drifting over.

"Do you even_ realize_ what you just did?" Jack snapped. "Why did you give him that dream?"

The Sandman held a finger to his lips.

Jack felt his grip on Jamie tighten as a small string of sand flew from the spirit's hand and over Jamie's head. Jack half expected to see the images of sledding and snowball fights. Instead, the strand snaked and twisted until it tied itself, a chord forming into a perfect, golden sailor's knot. Then, the sand sagged and faded.

Jack stood stock-still as Jamie awoke again. Jamie looked at his nightlight, not taking notice to the other Guardian. He child blinked once and Jack's mouth fell open when the boy's chocolate brown eyes briefly flashed a brilliant cerulean blue before returning to normal. Shrugging, clearly oblivious, Jamie again rested his chin on Jack to fall back asleep. Not a moment later, Jack's whole body seemed to relaxed as if a great amount of weight had finally been lifted.

In Jack's absolute shock, he hadn't noticed the Sandman's departure. Not knowing whether to feel extremely happy or tremendously guilty, he sagged further back against the headboard of the bed. Jack Frost thought of only one thing before he closed his eyes and fell asleep that night.

The bond had been sealed.

_* I think I may know of Katherine's true canon fate, but I've only read the first book so far. Please don't spoil it for me. I shall be posting a new one-shot soon. I am still taking requests._


	10. Odd Gifts

_* By the way, I'm still taking one-word requests._

Odd Gifts

Jack grunted as the warm breeze slammed him against a tree. Rubbing his jaw, he landed on a high branch with a gleeful laugh. The air buffeted angrily and the winter spirit ducked behind leaves, shielded from the majority of the winds fury.

After many minutes, the wind ebbed until finally slipping away with an exasperated hiss. The coast now clear, he stood and propped himself against the coarse trunk of the tree, smiling carefree and as wild as ever. Jack fanned a pale hand over his face as the temperature raised a notch. It was a past time of his, messing with the other seasons, and making ungoverned mischief in his own.

The season of Autumn was docile in allowing him to spread the chill until winter officially began. Spring and Summer, however, were different matters entirely. Notably warmer seasons, Summer and Spring made it their job to never let anything cold into their domains, especially an unruly winter child. For Jack, it was game on! He wasn't sure if the other seasons were actual beings like him, he never really _saw_ them, but he had fun just the same. Possessing the talent of managing his core temperature, the heat of the day hardly had an effect. Although, he had no problem steering clear of any temperature reaching above eighty-five.

Jack twirled his staff like a baton, pacing back and forth on the tree branch trying to think of what harmless trouble he could stir up next.

"Come on. Blow them out!"

"Hmm?" Jack mused and turned at the voice. He flew from the tree and came to a fast, yet steady halt on a picnic table. Everyone was chuckling at some form of humor as Jack tried to get a better look at the small crowd.

"Oh!" Jack realized aloud when he caught a glimpse of the cake just left of a bespectacled kid. He slung his staff over his shoulders, nodding to the blonde-haired boy. "Happy Birthday, kiddo!" Quite used to not being heard, the spirit wasn't expecting a response. He was content enough to just be there and watch the festivities, even though he truly wanted to instigate even the slightest snowball fight. He looked down and flicked a dark green leaf from the table with a bare toe. The other children and a few of the adults dispersed from the table to make a dash for the pool.

Jack shook his head in amusement before drifting out of the people's sights to the next table to pick through bags and boxes of presents. He shook the boxes and appraised the gift bags. Most contained small toys and some candy, whereas another held a DVD of a cartoon that Jack even liked to watch while he did usual sweeps through towns. The winter spirit almost didn't waste time with the smallest gift, but his nosy nature dictated. Pausing, Jack carefully reached for the bag and pulled out a glass snowflake. He brought the Christmas ornament to his eyes, inspecting the unusual gift. Shrugging after a couple seconds, he delicately put the present back in its place as he vaguely listened to a woman asking the kid what he wished for his birthday.

"It won't come true if I tell."

Jack's head tilted curiously at the small, cheery tone. Turning around, he saw that the voice belonged to a little brunette boy sitting right in front of the cake that read 'Happy 5th Birthday!'. _Ah, it's _his_ birthday._ Jack confirmed, jumping all the way in front of the boy.

"You got some _weird_ gifts this year, kid. I'm almost jealous," Jack teased, sighing at the fact that the child couldn't possibly respond to his presence. He crouched to meet the set of wide brown eyes. "Come on kid, smile."

Much to the dismay of the both of them, the little boy's frown slid further as the mother walked away. Jack glowered briefly at the parent's inattentiveness before turning back to the kid.

"It's your birthday," Jack said when the child got up with grimace, getting ready to go swimming. "What's eatin' at you?"

Jack rested his feet on the bench as the little kid donned a false smile and jumped into the park's pool. Thankful that a tree provided cool shade over him, Jack laid back on the table and stared at the ever-shifting clouds. He inhaled before closing his eyes.

For what seemed like minutes, but probably over an hour, the gleeful shouts and words of the party returned.

Jumping up and flying to another table, Jack watched from a distance as the kids gathered around the gift table. The child, who he found to be called Jamie, opened each gift with minor enthusiasm. Jack could somehow tell this wasn't Jamie's usual behavior and scowled. One by one, he opened each present only really lifting an eyebrow for a few books and the cartoon DVD. At last, Jamie was handed the last gift. Sitting on the edge of the bench now, Jack awaited his reaction as the child took the snowflake from the bag.

Jamie's eyes gradually lit with true fascination as he ran a gentle finger over the prongs of the seasonal bauble. "Told you he'd like it," one adult remarked to another. Before Jamie could even utter a 'thank you' he was already being pushed towards the other table for dessert.

Jack just sat staring at the mountain of discarded wrapping paper, mulling over the kid's response to such a simple decoration. The winter spirit blinked before an impish grin curled all the way to his ears. Reuniting with the group, he stepped onto the table to get a better look at the cake.

Jack shifted his clever gaze to the sky and took a long breath. A cloud expanded until it covered the blinding sun. The summer breeze returned. The boy rolled his cerulean orbs as the air became cooler, wind no longer threatening.

Jamie rubbed the cold goosebumps forming on his arms, but he was certainly less bored, and that's the incentive Jack desired.

"Hey," Jack said. "Check this out." He winked at Jamie before tapping the hook of his staff against the pond design on the cake.

The staff spouted a thin wave of frost. Jack made his creation loop around the base before finally reaching and covering the entire cake. Everyone gasped and awed at the spectacle, looking around silently asking each other how that just happened. The winter spirit grinned at their foolish expressions, even going so far as to have the wind clear the table of the plates and napkins.

Jack analyzed Jamie's expression and he was pretty proud of himself when the boy's frown began twitching upwards. Jack gave a light-hearted laugh at the kid's gawking. Then, the child seemed to contemplate and focus, his eyes shifting directly towards Jack.

The winter spirit stood straighter, and stopped breathing altogether.

_He wasn't…he couldn't…_

Jack chuckled unsteadily. "Can you…" Jack crouched and looked directly into Jamie's eyes. "Can you see-"

Promptly, Jamie shook his head and grabbed the glass snowflake from the table, his hand passing straight through Jack's ankle. The child and the spirit looked away.

Sadness pricked at Jack's eyes and before any tears could form he growled and shot a frustrated flare of ice against the pool. Another chorus of marveling sounded as the water froze over. Not having enough patience to stick around for the wrath of the summer wind, he crouched, aimed for the tree line and took one last look at the party.

He didn't leave.

Jack's left eyebrow slowly arched as he walked up next to the brunette that was leaning over the edge of the pool. Jamie ran a finger over the frost on the ice and Jack not only saw fascination on the kid's face, but a smile.

Albeit, small, it was a happy, _genuine_ smile!

Sure, nearly every kid loved the snow. Snowball fights, sledding, skating and fun go hand in hand. _Ice_ is the most troublesome. It causes car wrecks, sprained limbs, freezes pipes, and can be deceiving for those who wish to skate on seemingly solid waters. To see a kid so pleased and mesmerized at such a nuisance was rare.

Jack blinked and he only tore his gaze from the little boy to look at the ornament still clutched in his tiny fist. Jamie took a hand off the ice and looked at his chilled fingers. A warm breeze shoved at them both, causing Jamie's frown to return. This didn't go unnoticed.

Jack instantly looked to the sky with narrowed eyes. "I wonder…" He muttered before glancing back at the glass snowflake.

It would be a difficult task considering the current season...His eyes sparked before he waved the end of the staff in a 'halo' formation.

When more clouds gathered, he gasped and stumbled slightly. "Hey, kid," Jack smiled exhaustedly at Jamie, who went back to tracing the frost on the ice. "Do you still want your birthday wish?"

A single puff of snow fell from the sky and landed on the cake.

"Oh my-" One of the adults exclaimed as more snowflakes landed on his face and hair. The children hollered joyously as they all made a grab for each and every falling flake.

"You're right," Jack took to the air and waved his staff. "Clearly, it's not enough!"

The snow fell harder now and didn't subside until the whole side of the park was covered in a white sheet. Jack chucked two snowballs at a set of twins and another one at a grown-up. Soon, snowballs were flying everywhere.

"Woohoo!" Jack shouted wildly with the kids as he rounded the group, dragging his staff along the ground to create mass amounts of snowy ammo. He managed to peg the back of Jamie's head, causing the boy to retreat behind a picnic bench.

"It's a snowball fight, Jamie," Jack laughed as he landed on the table. "Not hide and seek."

Jamie smiled so widely Jack thought the grin was going to fly right off his face. Then, the boy uttered a sound at the back of his throat, and soon Jack's ears filled with the melodious ringing of the child's exuberant laughter.

Jack was even more pleased as deviousness flitted over the boy's features. Jamie reached beside the winter spirit and swiped a finger along the cake, breaking the icy pattern Jack had previously created. The five-year-old licked the icing from his fingertip.

"Hey," the spirit scolded playfully as more snow fell over the two boys. "I worked very hard to try and freeze that cake for you." He sighed in dramatic exasperation. "Well, you _are_ the birthday boy. So, I'm going to let you slide." He winked again and soon heard the other children laugh and cheer as a long slide of smooth ice mysteriously formed over the hillside.

"Go on," Jack encouraged, forming a snowflake as intricate as the glass ornament. He blew the flake, making it fly over and tap Jamie's nose. Jack stepped to the ground and saw the blue flash of his magic cross over the kid's face. "Your friends are waiting for you." He gestured behind him.

"Best summer birthday," Jamie said to himself. "Ever!" The boy ran forward to meet up with his friends. Jack spread his arms and allowed the cold wind to propel him into the sky.

It happened every time he tried to interact with anyone. And he didn't know why, but this time, he didn't seem to mind that a child had walked right through him.


	11. Problems

_* I just want to say thank you to all who have reviewed so far. Thank you for the feedback and advice I always love constructive criticism._

_By the way, I referenced Phineas and Ferb. **I don't own Phineas and Ferb.**_

Problems

Jamie awoke from a dreamless sleep and he noticed how…smothered the room felt. He wasn't cold, he wasn't warm, and the bed wasn't uncomfortable, but something felt off.

For minutes, he tossed and turned, legs curling and uncurling, arms crossing and uncrossing; he finally decided to gaze about his room. He gasped harshly, his back colliding with the bed's headboard as he stared into a set of sharp yellow eyes. Jamie sat like a statue, finally able to get a _too_ close look at the dark form that was the Boogeyman.

Pitch Black stood a foot from the bedside with arms raised at his waist, cat-eyes scanning the child up and down. Jamie thought he would at least be stunned by his awakening. For a long time they exchanged a staring contest, neither of them exhibiting animosity nor contentment. Pitch's mouth was in a thin, almost impatient line before he slowly raised a hand.

"I'm not afraid of you," Jamie found his words, sitting straighter and puffing his chest in determination. Finding it hard to hide the quiver in his voice, he still held true to his word; he wasn't scared. However, waking up in the dead of night to find a legendary evil spirit towering over him was a tad disconcerting.

Jamie clutched his stuffed rabbit under the blanket and shook his head. "You can't-"

"Oh, shut up you little brat," Pitch snapped at the boy, using a hand to scratch his chin. "I'm thinking." Jamie swallowed, but obeyed. The staring continued, only with Pitch giving off more emotion.

The man flexed his jaw, narrowed eyes regarding the child with a mix of inquisition and bewilderment. From the way his shoulders saged at times, the nine-year-old could see just how exhausted Pitch was. Whatever the spirit wanted from him must've taken a decent chunk of energy just to arrive in the room.

Before he could even guess why Pitch was there, Jamie's heart jerked almost uncomfortably. The same exact thing happened just before school that morning when Jack left to bring winter to another state. As Jack flew into the clouds, Jamie's heart reacted anxiously, but emotionally he felt right as rain. He put a hand to his chest, trying to find the best theory.

A silky, chilling cackle shattered his reverie. Jamie immediately looked at Pitch's suddenly amused face. He shook his head and stepped towards the window, never breaking the chuckle.

"He bonded with you, didn't he?" Pitch grinned almost eccentrically.

Jamie's mouth fell slightly. "How-"

"Come now, where's Jack Frost?" Pitch opened his hands, head turning to scan the bedroom. "If he bonded with you he can't be far away."

Jamie fixed his sights on the window and his chest panged again, this time forcing him to take a shallow breath.

"No matter," Pitch conceded, meeting Jamie's gaze. "It's not like I can give you any bad dreams because of this, which truly is a shame. You always had the most vivid nightmares." He took a predatory stride. "I could either stay here gawking until your Guardian interferes, or," he pointed a cruel smirk at the child. "I could keep you in my lair and find a way around the problem without distraction." Jamie's resolve crumpled as darkness seeped around him with every step the Boogeyman took. He brought the rabbit out of hiding and hugged the toy to his stomach.

Pitch came to a halt a few feet from the bed when something tapped his neck. Stepping from the shadows, the Boogeyman's general domain, was Jack Frost holding the hook of his staff against the intruder's throat.

"Go ahead," Jack's mischievous grin slipped into an irate frown. "Touch him. I _dare_ you."

Pitch clicked his tongue, staff jerking as he shook his head. "You're late," he mocked. "Poor little Jamie almost got himself captured due to your tardiness. And he's been longing to see you _all_ day. What was it this time, Jack, protecting and bringing joy to other children? You are a Guardian now, right?" Jack felt his hands loosen. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he was being scolded.

"How foolish of you," Pitch continued. "to put all your focus on one child when you have millions of others to look after."

"Huh?" Jamie piped up, pushing himself forward.

"Stay back, Jamie," Jack snapped. "And don't listen to him."

"Didn't he tell you?" Pitch's eyes feigned surprise. "You're his full responsibility. You now take precedence over every child on the planet. In fact, you get to see him every single day now," Pitch's gaze pierced into Jamie's eyes. "All because you bonded with him."

Jamie's brows knitted before he looked to the floor, realization flicking terribly over his face. Not having to see him to sense the boy's upset Jack pressed his staff more forcefully against the spirit.

"What do you want," Jack demanded.

"I have to have a reason?" Pitch rolled his eyes. He stepped back from the two boys and made a move for the shadows.

"Pitch-"

"Oh, don't mind me, Frost," the Boogeyman waved without looking back. "I'm just going to observe the nightmares of innocent children around the world. And Jamie," He turned around to see that the child didn't even give him a side-glance. "…Have fun with the wolves." Pitch melted into a dark corner of the room, his laughter fading with him.

"Wolves?" Jack whispered after a moment before opening his mouth again.

"I'm sorry."

Jack turned around to face the owner of the small voice. Jamie sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes downcast at his fingers that fidgeted with the toy rabbit's ears. "What?" The Guardian asked as he walked over.

"I'm sorry," Jamie repeated, eyes closed in guilt. "It's all my-" He paused. "W-we bonded. And I didn't know... I-I must've missed that part of the dream-"

Jack inhaled when the chord inside him jolted. And before he could question this, Jamie finally met his gaze, and the chord jerked again. "I completely ruined your life." Jamie curled his legs and pressed his face against his knees.

Jack tilted his head before moving to sit across from Jamie on the bed. "What are you talking about," he asked. "You didn't-"

"Yes I did!" Jamie shot to his feet and pointed a finger at the stunned spirit. "If I never asked to bond with you then you wouldn't be forced to stay here in Burgess. You should be able to go wherever you want right now, but _no_!" Jamie threw his hands to the air. "You're stuck here with me when you could be playing with other kids around the world."

Jamie plopped back on the bed, breathing hard from his outburst. Jack sat there trying to find his words, and also trying to register Jamie's emotions. A full three days had passed since the bond had been sealed and the Guardian was already feeling Jamie's every emotion, as if they were his own. All feelings that rolled off Jamie, Jack felt ten-fold. The spirit shook his head in attempting control over the coming migraine.

"You didn't want to bond with me," Jamie mumbled, avoiding the Guardian to stare at the rumpled blue comforter. "I'm so sorry."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. What was he supposed to say? _Of course I wanted to bond with you!_ Lie. _I can go wherever I want; the bond doesn't affect that._ Lie! He sighed before narrowing his eyes. He reached forward and pulled the child into his lap.

"You didn't ruin my life," Jack muttered as he rested his chin on the brunette's head. "You certainly made it more interesting," he chuckled. Jamie relaxed in the embrace which made Jack involuntarily tighten his grip around the kid. "But you didn't ruin it."

The nine-year-old shook his head. "But you-"

"I can go wherever I want still," Jack explained. "I…"

"You just have to see me every day." Jamie finished.

"I admit," Jack swallowed. "I didn't want to bond with you-" Jack cringed as the guilt that emanated from Jamie intensified. "But North did say it was an involuntary instinct. So, it's both our faults…?"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "North said we _both_ had to come to terms with being bonded."

"And we did," Jack said before pushing Jamie back to look at his face. "You just solidified the connection."

The edge of Jamie's mouth twitched as if to say 'That's supposed to make me feel better?'

Jack sighed. "Anyway," he picked up the discarded stuffed rabbit and handed it to the boy. "There's no going back now, because whether you like or not," Jack suddenly pulled Jamie into a headlock and rubbed a fist against his chocolate hair. "You're stuck with me!"

"Jack!" Jamie groaned with a playful smirk before slipping out of the Guardian's grasp. The little boy 'humphed' before lying back on the bed. For a while, the pair just enjoyed each other's company as well as the lighter atmosphere.

"So," Jack broke the silence when he looked over at the desk. "According to that mountain of textbooks and papers you have there-" Jamie scowled at this. "-your day was just as_ fantastic_ as mine!"

"I hated today," the younger boy moaned and sat up. "I couldn't sit still at all. As soon as you left this morning I started feeling…"

"Anxious, agitated?" Jack offered as picked up his staff.

Jamie scrunched his nose. "Real jumpy, too. The percussion section in music class didn't exactly help with that." Jack chuckled and again ruffled Jamie's hair. "I've never acted like that before. Is it something to do with being bonded?"

"Yep," Jack confirmed, idly inspecting the old break lining the center of his staff. "Now that we're magically linked we can't be apart for too long. You," he nodded to Jamie. "can be away from me for possibly a few days. I, on the other hand, have to keep you in my sights nearly every day or else my powers go on the fritz.

"Today," Jack leaned forward. "I could feel your emotions all the way from Ohio. I ended up feeding off your anxiety and _that_ fed my powers."

"Sorry about that," Jamie said. "Me and my friends were being chased by some bullies. So," Jamie straightened up, bouncing slightly in excitement. "What happened in Ohio? What'd you do?"

Jack laughed before waving his staff. "Let's just say some people will _only_ be able to see the tops of their cars in the morning." Jack flicked his staff again and snowflakes shimmered and fell from the ceiling.

"Lucky," Jamie said, smiling as puffs of snow flitted smoothly over his face. "They're going to have snow days until the end of the week." He paused. "You said you could sense my emotions the morning after we bonded. Why can't I feel yours yet?"

"You are," Jack said as he began stacking snowflakes on the nail of his pinky. "Right now, you can only go off my emotions when we're apart, but I can feel your's twenty-four/seven unless I'm too far away." Jack leaned over and passed the snowflakes to Jamie, who took it as gently as possible in his palm. "You're younger so it's taking you longer to get used to my emotions," Jack smirked. "Which shouldn't be too long considering you're already using some of my powers."

Jack laughed at the kid's almost comical gaping before pointing to the tiny pile of snow in Jamie's hand. The stack of snowflakes never moved, in fact, they hadn't even melted. They stayed perfectly intact as if Jack Frost was the one holding them.

"Whoa," Jamie breathed wondrously. "But North said-"

"You two are progressing _real_ fast, you've just about skipped thought sharing," Jack waved a pale hand. "This all you'll probably be able to do for a while. Did you know that Sophie is _this close_ to making the flowers in the Warren bloom? Cottontail won't stop bragging about it."

"Sophie's the lucky one," Jamie said, blowing the snowflakes from his hand. "She gets to see Bunny every single day. She even sleeps in the Warren some nights."

"Bunny hardly moves around much, unless it's Easter."

"Easter," Jamie repeated before blinking in Jack's direction. "What happens when spring comes, and summer? Where do you go?"

Jack pursed his lips before leaping up. Walking across the bed, he got to the wall and flipped pages on the calendar. As he ran his pale fingers over each coming week, Jamie could just make out the countries and towns Jack muttered under his breath. The spirit hummed once before pointing to a certain month and day on the calendar.

"That's when I should be done with my rounds in the U.S.," he explained. "I always move onto northern Norway after that. It's a tradition of mine." His heart panged at Jamie's crestfallen features. "The wind can take me from Russia all the way to Burgess in a matter of an hour. The connection won't allow me to stay away for too long. I'll be able to see you every day."

"But that's the problem," Jamie shook his head, flakes of snow releasing from his hair. "You should be able to go wherever you want and not be obligated to see me every single day." He suddenly looked at Jack, wide eyes brimming with a brilliant idea. "What if I travelled with you?"

"In a perfect world, yes," Jack shrugged. "But how would that go with your mother?"

"I could tell her I'm going to stay with my grandparents."

"What happens if she calls your grandparents?" Jamie opened his mouth before closing it again. "And you have school. Don't worry," Jack reassured in the usual laidback tone. "We'll figure something out."

Jack watched as the clock on the nightstand struck three in the morning. Jamie should be getting back to sleep soon. His already lonely frown disappeared as he watched the little boy grab at the snow that danced dizzily in the air. Each flake seemed to gravitate towards Jamie before sneakily slipping out of reach._ Eh,_ Jack thought as he leaned against the pillows. _I'm going to be selfish right now._

Jamie chuckled proudly at the snowflake he snagged between his thumb and index finger, still getting used to the fact that it refused to melt. Yet he somehow managed to make his exuberant grin slide downward a little. Jack immediately sat up as he felt the concern emitting from the small boy.

Jamie looked at the Guardian. "Pitch said something about wolves."

"I have no idea what he meant," Jack ran a hand through his wind-swept hair. "But I'll be asking North. You still have that snow globe?" Jamie reached over Jack's lap and they both peered into the nightstand's drawer. "Good," Jack said, observing the clear, glass orb. "I don't think Pitch is up to much right now – he looks pretty weak – but I want you to have that in case you need a getaway."

Jamie nodded. "I keep it on me all the time."

"Good." Jack stood, feet pattering against the bedroom floor. The spirit gripped his staff and held out his arms which Jamie gratefully leapt into. "I'll be back in the morning," he said over the child's shoulder. "I got some errands to run."

"Okay,_ mom_," Jamie teased, causing Jack to laugh and lightly flick the kid's ear.

"You mentioned bullies earlier," Jack said as he walked to the window. "What'd they do to you?"

"They chased us for two blocks and pegged us with snowballs full of ice."

"Ugh," Jack grimaced. "I hate that kind of snowball. Do you have any welts?"

"A few," Jamie said, rubbing a small red mark on the back of his neck. For a split second, Jamie felt a short wave of anger just as resentment flashed in the winter spirit's eyes. However, the feeling quickly faded, as did the snow in the room.

Jack exhaled and nodded. "Give me some names." Hesitantly, Jamie rattled off the names of the bullies. "Oh, I remember those kids! Thank you." Jack opened the window.

"Jack," Jamie almost accused. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to check up on those bullies of yours," Jack raised a hand in defense before bringing it up to scratch his jaw. "You know, make sure they have good homes, good families, a nice yard," He grinned and gave the child a wink. "Make sure their water pipes don't spontaneously _freeze_."

Jamie couldn't help chuckling as Jack turned back to his desk. His eyes scanned the computer and monitor. "Can you get school delay and closing updates on your computer?" Jack asked.

Jamie nodded. "I already checked tonight, though," he propped his chin on the bedpost. "School tomorrow."

Jack hummed and stole a glance out to the streets. "Well," Jack said as he stepped on the windowsill. "You may want to check again." The wind slammed against the open window before pulling Jack into the night.

With the winter spirit gone, Jamie could now see the outside air and gasped. He ran and jumped on the computer and punched in the weather station's web address. He swiveled the mouse, clicked a few times, and started scrolling down the web page to find his school district.

"No way," Jamie whispered before hollering a 'Yes!'

"Jamie!" His mother yelled from the other room.

"Sorry mom," he said with a flinch. "Hey, Sophie!" He exclaimed, wanting to share the excitement. "No school tomorrow!"

Giving a bubbly laugh, Jamie looked out the window, taking one last look at snowflakes the size of ping-pong balls before getting ready to sleep in for the next morning.

_* Okay, I'm still taking requests, both one-word and general ideas. Now that Jack and Jamie have more or less accepted being bonded, if you guys have an ideas or situations you want to me to write regarding the two of them (No romance, please), please let me know. Again, I'm still taking one-word requests._


	12. Reading

_I referenced the author "Dr. Seuss" in this chapter. **Obviously, I do not own "Dr Seuss" at all. **I also referenced "The Guardians of Childhood" book series.** I don't own "The Guardians of Childhood" book series. **I also referenced the movie "Holes".** I don't own "Holes".**_

Reading

Jamie groaned. There they go again, Jack and Bunnymund. Do they ever stop fighting?

The child lightly trotted down a hall of the workshop, Bunny's and Jack's argument fading with every step he took. Jamie gave a long whistle as he passed door after door, wondering how many rooms the factory held. Every now and again he opened a random door; it either contained a broom and supply closet, guest bedroom, or a personal workshop. The next door he opened just so happened to be one of those shops and the sound of something shattering pierced the air as Jamie pushed against the door.

In the shop, Jamie looked to the stone floor to see chunks of ice that once took on the shape of a plane. With a sharp gasp of realization, the boy shot a look towards the Guardian of Wonder who had his back turned to him. North was rubbing his temples in aggravation, muttering under his breath.

"Whoops," Jamie mumbled before calling out a 'Sorry!' and racing away down a corridor.

_Okay,_ Jamie thought during the rest of his trek. _Let's knock next time!_

The child rounded several corners, passing a lumbering yeti, more workshops, the Globe of Belief, and a couple elves. Just beyond the kitchen's door, tucked in a rather forgotten corner, stood two doors side by side each other.

Jamie hummed in appreciation not for the doors' crescent shape, but the grand scale of them. The entry way almost reached up to the ceiling and this was an almost impossible feat in such a factory. The boy ran his fingertips over the starry patterns carved into the doors' smooth, wooden frame. He brought his hand back and balled it into a fist to lightly rap the door.

Even when no one answered, Jamie continued to listen to the hypnotizing resonance of the knock as it filled every nook and cranny of the building. When the echo faded, Jamie finally reached and turned the transparent, crystal doorknobs. Frowning, he took a step beneath the doorway and pushed a large, gold, moth-bitten curtain from his path. Jamie's jaw hit the floor.

He stared into the openness as stained light from the windows' mosaics flooded the room and his vision. Every beam, every ray of sunshine passed through the windows, bouncing off shelves upon shelves of books and papers.

Books…_Books everywhere!_ All the shelves, all the corners, all the chairs and balconies possessed rows and piles of literature just begging to be sifted through. Each book, even with modern titles Jamie recognized, was leather-bound and appeared in perfect condition, no matter the layers of dust.

Almost mechanically, Jamie found himself steadily scaling one of the many library ladders until he stumbled upon a certain book in a certain section. Literally, he almost fell from the ladder when he saw the leather copy and silver letters that read "They're Out There – Unexplained Phenomena"; one of his favorite books.

Jamie was in paradise!

"How's the weather up there, kiddo?" Jack's voice echoed, causing the child's delirium to make him slip down a single step. He looked down – _way down_ – to see the winter spirit looking up at him from the center of the room.

"Uh," Jamie glanced around and stuck up his index finger. "Little drafty."

Jack chuckled when the boy's finger bounced lightly off the ceiling. "Come on down before you fall," the Guardian waved. "You may as well be on top of the Empire State Building and it's kind of freaking me out."

The child scrunched his nose as he swiped the book from the utmost top shelf. "I'm not that high up."

"In all the centuries," Jack raised a brow. "No one has ever had to use North's infirmary. You are not going to be the first. Not on my watch." Jack waved his hand again and Jamie sighed before shimmying down from his perch.

When Jamie touched the carpeted floor, his book was instantly snatched from his hands. "I never knew you liked reading so much," the Guardian mused.

"Next to playing in the snow," Jamie said as he sat down on a red comforter. "Reading's one of my favorite things to do." The boy paused to watch Jack scroll a pale finger over a page. "I actually have that book at home, so you can borrow mine. These are _North's_ books after all."

"He wouldn't mind us borrowing a few, trust me," Jack said with a laidback grin. "Besides, I'm not the best reader."

"What do you mean?" Jamie cocked his head.

"Well," the spirit scratched his neck. "I can recognize most of the book titles here," his staff swung a gesture around the room. "I understand most street signs and can distinguish words from other languages, but I can't exactly…_read_ what they say."

"Really?" Jamie blinked as Jack paced about the room. "So, if I told you to read a sentence from a book-"

"I can't read sentences," Jack shrugged as if it didn't matter. "Just phrases." Jack plucked a thin book from a stack on a coffee table. "Still, I don't mind looking at books."

"You just can't read them," Jamie said, making Jack shrug again before turning the pages of another book.

"Reading and writing wasn't entirely essential in the time period I was born in."

Jamie's thoughts trailed. He couldn't imagine what it must be like, to flip through the most adventurous, mind-bending, thrilling books but not being able to read them. It didn't have to be novels, not being able to read even the most shortest and simplest of children's books would make him go crazy.

Jamie suddenly sat straighter. He bounced off the chair, ran passed Jack, and snagged a small, brightly colored book from the shelf. The winter spirit just watched bemusedly as his young friend sat the book on an armrest and used all his scrawny might to pull up a chair next to the other. Jamie patted the seat of the one chair as he sat on his own seat.

With an exhale, Jack floated over to the little boy and sat on the backrest. "What does this say?" Jamie asked, poking the cover of the book.

"That's easy," Jack chuckled. "'Dr. Seuss'."

"Okay," Jamie grinned along with him before opening the pages. "What does that say?" Jack opened his mouth…before closing it. Leaning forward, he squinted his eyes as if he needed glasses, mouth articulating around soundless words. He then shook his head. "Do you want me to teach you how to read?"

Jack flexed his jaw. "Sure," he nodded. "If it'll get Bunny off my back."

"That's what you two were fighting about back there?"

"Hey," Jack exclaimed. "I beat him at a snowball fight. He's just a sore loser and needed something to complain about. He won the argument, but I can probably get back at him for proving I can read." Jamie smiled, revealing the gap between his teeth.

Jack leapt onto the armrest of Jamie's chair, reclining and placing a chilly hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Well, go on, Professor," the winter spirit nodded to the book. "Teach me."

Jamie laughed and grabbed a pen and notepad from the coffee table. "Let's start off with regular ABC's."

_* I'm still taking one-word requests._


	13. Side Effects

_* I referenced the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". **I don't own "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".**_

**Requested by:**_ DoomCabbit _and _Zehava_

Side Effects

Sophie held her hand flat against the dilapidated patch of grass, eyes closed and barely breathing. The refreshing spring breeze may have stilled, but nothing else was happening. It was when the girl's face started to pale did Jamie truly become worried. He shifted from his perch, ready to jump to aid his sister.

Then the pallor, dried grass starting shrinking, reversing its growth back into the ground only to sift back up, bright green and healthy again. Sophie exhaled, fluttered her eyes, and clapped her hands at her masterpiece.

"Excellent work, ankle biter," Bunnymund grinned with pride, trying to hide his giddiness. "I'm very impressed."

"Ride," the child held up her hands. "Ride, please?"

"Well," Bunny grunted, placing Sophie on his back. "You _do_ deserve it. Oy, Jamie," The Pooka looked to the older sibling. "Want to come along?"

"Nah, I'm good." Jamie shook his head, still stunned by Sophie's magic trick.

With a nod, the pair bounded over a mossy crest out of sight, leaving the boy by himself. Jamie slid down from the egg statue. When Jack wasn't around, Jamie often spent free time with his sister, mostly in the Warren hanging out with Bunnymund and sometimes painting eggs. More often than not, though, did Bunny and Sophie speed off to play with each other. However, Jamie didn't mind being left alone; it gave him the chance to explore at his own pace. Actually, Jamie was surprised that he hadn't memorized the entire Warren yet.

The boy placed his hand against the new, stubby grass. It was only a miniscule amount of grass, but it left Jamie gaping wondrously. If his little sister could make plants grow, then why couldn't he make it snow like Jack? "Hmm," Jamie murmured, looking at his hand before glancing up. He spied a tree just a few feet off and he took a step from it.

Jamie breathed deeply and tried concentrating on his task. His gut wrenched as if on a rollercoaster and a tingling sensation flared down his arms. When the prickling stopped, Jamie opened his eyes. An excited grin lit his features as thin sparks of white zigzagged around his fingertips.

Jamie attempted to reign in the growing adrenaline rush, but that proved to be too arduous so he went along with it. The child faced his palms in the direction of the tree and made a slight pushing motion. He laughed energetically as the sparks tapped and fused into each other to form a mass of blue energy no bigger than a ping-pong ball. Jamie again shoved out his hands, but to his dismay, the energy flickered and sizzled out, but the white sparks on his fingers remained.

Frowning impatiently, Jamie started to focus again, speeding up his thought process this time. With his palms stuck out, the white sparks grew in length and hastily reformed the ball of energy that developed to the size of a tennis ball.

"No way," Jamie whispered as bits of ice grew between his nails. Tuning out every thought, Jamie focused on the tree and the energy hovering in front of his hands. Then the boy thrust his palms to send the ball of frost at the tree.

The energy ricocheted off the air, smacked Jamie across the chest, and burst open directly in his face. With a long, surprised yell, the child flew back several yards and landed in a field across one of the strings of rivers.

"Oh," Jamie groaned, trying to blink away the daze. "Ow," he yelped in pain as he tried to twist onto his knees. It seemed that no matter where he looked, the Warren spun like an overactive kaleidoscope.

A light breeze caressed his face as his eyes slid shut. He briefly remembered the cold, comforting touch of a hand on his shoulder before blacking out.

* * *

Jamie exhaled and opened his eyes.

The room was dimly lit aside from a few candles and rays of the sunset peaking through dark curtains. Instead of wallpaper, paint, or plaster lining the walls and ceilings, there were big chunks of wood stacked near and on top of each other, reminiscent of a log cabin. Jamie shifted his gaze.

The canopy bed's posts were garnished with stars and snowflakes embedded in its pine frame. The sheets, blankets, and pillows were a cool blue and white. But the best part was how the bed felt. Aside from laying on the softest cotton ever, the bed was cold. It was as if the mattress had its own built-in A/C system and it felt amazing against Jamie's sore back.

Jamie could've laid there all day if he didn't hear clattering outside the bedroom door, and was that his name he heard? Quirking a brow, Jamie wriggled from the blanket and onto the throw rug. He almost fell to his knees as he became lightheaded. He tried turning back to the bed when he heard familiar voices conversing outside.

Awkwardly shifting around the ache in his muscles, Jamie curled his hand and twisted the wooden doorknob.

"…should've been watching him!" Jamie heard Jack exclaim as he peeked around, using the door for support.

"This hasn't happened before," Bunny growled irately. "I wasn't anticipating it."

Bunny, North, and Jack stood in a circle, although Jack and Bunny were pretty much nose to nose. While they argued, the Guardian of Wonder merely pondered over the giant Globe of Belief.

"Jeez," Jack mumbled with a short pace. "I was just starting to make rounds over Alaska when I get this huge wave of anxiety from him."

"Jamie's perfectly safe in the Warren," Bunny reminded.

"Clearly. Riddle me this, Cottontail," Jack scoffed. "If he's so safe, then why did I find him completely unconscious there?"

"Both of you, enough!" North bellowed. "One," North remarked. "I am tired of your incessant fighting. And two, neither of you should be allowing your bonds to use their powers, powers they shouldn't be using until years from now."

"Our bonds?" Jack repeated.

"The ankle biters," Bunnymund said with an eye roll.

"But Jamie had no problems using his powers last week." Jack proceeded to tell them about Jamie's incapability of melting even the tiniest of snowflakes.

"Those aren't powers," the rabbit coughed. "They're side effects."

"Then how come Sophie can make plants grow?" All eyes turned to Jamie and he took a self-conscious step.

"Again, side effect," Bunny said. "Out of natural innocence, the ankle biter can only temporarily bring small plants to life. That patch of grass she touched has probably fizzled back out by now."

"But she still has enough power to do it," Jamie added, shuffling his way to his friends.

"But not intentional power," the Pooka elaborated. "Sophie thinks she's making something pretty with her powers. She doesn't think of it as any form of reviving."

"He already has a concussion," Jack scolded his comrade as he floated over to Jamie. "You don't need to make it worse by confusing him." Jack raised his hands to steady the younger boy's shoulders. "You okay?" He whispered, looking him square in the eyes. "Headache, nausea, dizzy?"

"A bit of everything," Jamie tried to straighten up, but staggered into the Guardian's arms.

"Forgive us, Jamie," North grinned lightly as Jack lifted the limp child off the ground. "We did not mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Jamie said against Jack's shoulder as he was being carried back into the bedroom.

Jack and Jamie sat themselves on opposite sides of the bed. "Is this your room?" Jamie asked as Jack pulled the covers over him, the dizziness lessening when he placed his head on the pillow.

"You like it?" Jack said, pointing out the balcony hidden behind a curtain on the far side of the room. Jamie nodded which, as one could imagine, made his headache a _whole lot better_. "Man," Jack winced at the sharp wave of pain that crashed into him. He covered Jamie's forehead with a chilly hand. "It's going to be brutal for both of us whenever you get sick." Jamie grimaced, but was grateful for the makeshift icepack on his head.

"Alright," Jack breathed. "What happened today?"

Jamie donned a sheepish grin. "I was just trying to use my powers." The little boy continued in detail of the energy field he created and even showed the ice that had coated parts of his fingernails. "I was trying to freeze a tree."

"Freeze a-" Jack shook his head incredulously. "You know, most kids in your position would try to throw that burst of energy randomly to see what happens. You, however," Jack wrapped an arm around the kid's shoulders. "try to freeze a whole darn _tree_ with it. I couldn't even do _that_ completely when I first got my powers. No wonder you look as though you're about to faint." Jack ran his free hand through his snowy hair. "What am I going to do with you?" The little boy chuckled. "I don't want you trying to use your powers again."

Jamie blinked. "What?" The boy asked. "But I was doing fi-"

"Until this happened," Jack motioned in general. "You can't force yourself to do magic, and that's what you were doing today. Anymore use of that energy and you might not even be awake right now. A couple years from now, you can start using full-blown magic, but until then we have to take it step by step. Promise?"

Jamie pursed his lips defiantly and sighed. "Promise." Jamie leaned against the Guardian's side, ready for another nap.

"I'll take you home before it gets too late," Jack murmured. "How's your mom going to take this?"

Jamie yawned and ignored the question. "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad at a kid like you? Impossible." Jack smiled. "I was worried. When I felt your anxiety I thought we were having a repeat of the _wolf incident_ from the beginning of the week." Both boys shivered at the memory.

Before Jamie drifted off, he thought back to how awesome it was being able to control that kind of force and energy. It was the most exhilarating thing to have that kind of element. He briefly thought about practicing magic on his down time. Surely Jack wouldn't mind magic taking homework's place. However, Jamie remembered his promise and he didn't want to go back on it. Especially after how much worry Jamie felt rolling off the Guardian before the boy fell unconscious in the Warren. Jamie was just happy that Jack was feeling much more at ease now. _…Feeling…_

"Jack," Jamie whispered without opening his eyes. "I think I can feel your emotions now."

_* By the way, for those who remember a previous chapter "Arguments", how do you think Jack should get revenge on the kid. I have a few ideas rattling around, but I want to know what you guys want to see._


	14. The Incident

_* By the way, I was thinking of adding two OC's to future one-shots. They won't be the entire center of attention, there won't be any romance, and they'd also be magical figures. I just want to get your opinion on that before moving forward with something like that._

_I'm also still taking ideas for how Jack should get his revenge on Jamie. As well as separate requests._

**Requested by_: _**_Myardna_

The Incident

"Dude," Jamie exclaimed with a tap on Pippa's shoulder. "Look!"

The girl raised an eyebrow and turned towards the window. She shortly gazed at the autumn leaves dancing in the breeze outside. "Okay," she shrugged. "What am I looking at?"

"What do you mean?" Jamie's voice squeaked incredulously. "It was just _there_."

"Jamie, Pippa," The kids straightened up at the sound of their teacher's voice. "Do you have something to share with the class?"

"No, ma'am," Pippa said, grabbing a pencil in attention. She turned back to her friend who was still staring curiously out the window. "Hey," she whispered to Jamie. "I don't know what it is you saw-"

"It was right there," Jamie repeated, slowly taking out his notebook. "And it was huge!"

"How come I didn't see it?"

The bell for recess rung less than an hour later and everyone shot out of school to play. Most kids raced to be first on the swing sets and slides, some took solace on the blacktop, and the rest jumped in as many leaf piles as they could find.

"Ah, the Autumnal Equinox," Monty sighed, adjusting his glasses. Only a light puff of air responded.

"First day of autumn," Jamie translated, flopping onto a pile of gold and red leaves. A collective 'ah' was exchanged followed by a 'nerd' remark from Cupcake.

Claude exhaled. "Can't wait 'till winter."

"I'll say. Just don't let any fall spirits hear that." Jamie smiled jokingly.

"No way, Jamie," Caleb shook his head. "You get to see Jack Frost, like, every day."

"Yeah," Jamie sat up. "But the weather outside his own season makes him uncomfortable. He's in higher spirits when winter hits."

"I can't believe you bonded with him," Pippa said, sitting next to him. "If Jack can feel your emotions then what else can you guys do?" She paused. "Jamie what's wrong?"

Jamie's mouth hung open and the color drained from his face. A deep growl resonated in his ears, and his volition left him as he got to his feet. The growl faded into a dry cough. His friends' questions became nothing more but echoes in his mind. Finally, when Cupcake roughly jerked the boy's shoulder, his head was clearing up. Jamie stuttered robotically and pointed a finger a couple feet off, between where Claude and Caleb stood. Jamie's friends glanced at each other as if he'd gone mad.

_What's wrong with them?_ Jamie swallowed hard, taking a cautious step back. _It's right there. Why can't they-_ Jamie suddenly found his voice and produced a fearful yelp before tripping over the leaf pile and running in the opposite direction.

The gang just stood and watched. Aside from a boisterous gust of wind that seemed to shove them out of the way, the only thing out of the ordinary was Jamie's sudden departure.

"If he ran that fast in Phys. Ed.," Caleb pursed his lips as the leaves settled. "The gym teacher would need therapy."

"Lucky," Claude crossed his arms as Jamie raced into the woods. "He's best friends with Jack Frost _and_ gets to skip school."

* * *

Jamie fell over the air and cried out as his legs tumbled in front of him. He ran a delicate thumb over his throbbing ankle before a steamy puff of air brushed the hair from his forehead. With an exaggerated gulp, Jamie finally tilted his head up to meet the steely grey eyes. The animal opened its jaws. The child hastily scooted back and asked a silent _"Really?!"_ when his back met a tree. The creature huffed impatiently and padded closer to the boy.

Jamie was terrified, but completely awestricken. The wolf stood at a towering height as tall as a doorway and its fur held the color of the autumn leaves. Excluding its massive jagged teeth, what struck him the most was the creature's lashing, three tails.

Trying to think and not be hypnotized by the wolf's gaze, Jamie grabbed a stick and held it in front of him like a sword. The mongrel stopped, narrowed its eyes, and exposed its fangs with a long hungry snarl. Jamie soon realized that the rather wimpy stick in his fist began to quake, followed by the rest of his lanky body. The boy jumped sharply as bushes and leaves rustled from behind.

"L-leave me alone," Jamie whimpered, but the plea fell on deaf ears as more wolves weaved out of the shadows. A bout of measured coughing resounded and Jamie realized the wolf standing directly in front of him wasn't coughing, but laughing. Or at least it sounded like it.

As this certain wolf had the strongest build out of all the pack members and was the only one with multiple tails, Jamie had to guess this was their leader. Jamie exhaled and held the stick with more determination. Noting the attempt at confidence, the wolf snarled sharply and parted its jaws. Its lips twitched until teeth _and_ gums were exposed, and the other wolves hung several yards back. _Yep, definitely the Alpha._

Despite the Alpha's gnash of warning, Jamie slowly rose to his feet. The wolves circled closer, and in a last-ditch effort the boy threw his pitiful weapon at the mongrel's eyes. At the sound of the degraded yap, Jamie turned heel and bolted around the tree. He didn't get far when his ankle protested at the weight and forced his body to the ground.

All of sudden, the nape of his shirt collar jerked and the ground left him. Jamie blinked as the forest whirled passed as if they were flying. He gazed up into the eyes of his captor and tried to jerk free of the wolf's jaws. Growing tired of the human nuisance, the Alpha shook his head wildly, whipping Jamie around until the boy could only dangle flaccidly in a daze.

In his delirium, Jamie still tried to shake himself loose, trying to reach for the ground or even going so far as to kick and swipe at the wolf's face. Trying to land a kick to the chest, Jamie abruptly felt his feet tangle around the wolf's front leg. They both yelped in surprise as they flung themselves forward. Jamie's thud was muffled by the sound of the Alpha's heavy _wham_ against the ground.

The child let out a frustrated sigh as a heavy paw pressed down on his back before he could even consider standing. Other members of the pack gathered around the boy and curiously smelled the air. A few wolves huddled close, sniffing at his body. Jamie hoped they would understand how skinny he was and realize he wasn't worth eating.

He knew this was a total pipe dream when a younger wolf prodded his nose against Jamie's injured ankle. Out of pure reflex, Jamie's leg flicked out at the wolf's snout, causing it to whine in surprise. The wolf that held him down howled furiously before bringing its fangs around the child's neck. Jamie would've been done for if a familiar bark hadn't stopped everyone.

The Alpha rose to its feet. Pressure abated, but the teeth never left Jamie's throat. Agonizingly slow in pace, the Alpha stalked forward and trapped Jamie's stare. Even when the wolf that had him pinned trotted away, he still found himself unable to move, caught in the spell of the grey orbs that stared him down. A chill slithered over his spine when the Alpha flashed its tongue across pearly teeth.

And in his possibly last, humorless moments, Jamie briefly thought of how the Tooth Fairy would've been impressed by the creature.

Right before the wolf lunged a freezing flash of light exploded in its path. The other wolves scattered away in shock before turning and snapping their jaws at the intruder. Growling suspiciously, the Alpha wolf stood its ground.

A scrawny, blue figure scattered the leaves on the ground as the wind carried it to a stop in front of the child. Jamie managed a sigh of relief when his friend looked over his shoulder to give the boy a once-over. A loud snarl ripped the silence and Jack flicked a glare to the attacker.

"What? Did I ruin your lunch?" The winter spirit said icily. He blinked and briefly looked back at Jamie. "Er, light snack," he corrected.

"Thanks, Jack," Jamie muttered.

The wolf clapped its fangs aggressively and began circling. Before Jamie could blink, Jack already had the child hoisted into his arms. As the beast rounded them with proud strides, the Guardian angled himself awkwardly so Jamie was situated safely behind him, but not exactly piggyback either.

The Alpha bunched its shoulders to jump before Jack rolled his eyes and produced a burst of energy from his staff. The wolf leapt out of the way – Jack never really intended his powers to make contact – and its snarl lowered wearily in volume.

"Keep," Jack kept his voice a notch louder than the growls. "away from him."

The wolf chuffed in aggravation then tipped its nose to the air, and Jamie thought he saw the Alpha's shoulders sag. Jack tightened his hold around the child. The wolf stared back at the two and to Jamie's surprise it stopped growling.

The Alpha tilted its head and used a single paw to shred leaves on the ground, tails lashing anxiously.

"No," Jack said evenly. "You can't have him." The wolf's head cocked further as if analyzing Jack's every word and slowly lowered its snout.

Jamie gasped and ducked his face to Jack's neck as the Alpha crouched and lunged, sailing right over their heads and landing gracefully near his comrades. The wolf barked orders to the rest of the pack, and for a moment none of them moved. The Alpha's ears pricked as if astonished, and the one wolf – the wolf that had sniffed Jamie's ankle – stepped closer, baring its fangs.

Jamie cringed when the Alpha dove and bit at the wolf. It yelped and kneeled to swipe a paw furiously at its nicked ear. The Alpha snarled questioningly at the others before the pack hesitantly obeyed and started their leave. Huffing, the Alpha didn't even look back as he followed suit.

"Are you okay," Jack asked. "How does your ankle feel?"

Jamie nodded. "I'm fi – Wait. How did you know about my ankle?"

Jack cocked his head to where the wolf pack had stood. "The younger wolf told me."

"You speak wolf?" Jamie asked with wide eyes.

"I can make mass amounts of blizzards in a single week, but you ask if I can talk to wolves." Jack grinned. "Well, for a long time I couldn't exactly rely on human companionship," Jack said and Jamie noticed his friend's distant face.

"So," Jack said as he sat them down under a tree. "I ran with a few wolf packs on my downtime." He shrugged as it if was no big deal. "I even lead one or two at some point."

"You were an Alpha?!"

"Why do you think that wolf backed down as soon as I came," Jack chuckled, ruffling the child's hair. "I figure he must've been a newly appointed leader. Did you see how confused his pack was before they left?"

"They didn't know which of you to follow," Jamie breathed. "But why were they after me? Why couldn't my friends see him?"

"Those wolves have magic in them," Jack said listlessly, angling his arm to recline Jamie in his embrace. He reached forward to pull one of Jamie's socks down. "I mean, how often do you see a three-tailed wolf, let alone wolves that huge. And the wolf probably didn't _want_ your friends to see him." Jamie hissed when Jack pressed his chilly fingertips against his ankle. He rubbed the kid's arm apologetically. "You sprained it pretty good," Jack commented.

"But the wolves smelled you, smelled your magical potential," Jack continued as he hovered a hand over Jamie's ankle. "Therefore, they saw you as a threat to their territory and thought only of disposing you." The spirit pressed his lips together in both mild anger and concentration. "As soon I learned of this, I rushed to Burgess." He gave a lighthearted, but scolding grin. "Because _you_ can't seem to stay out of danger for a single day."

Jamie shifted as his foot started to feel chilly. "I thought you were sensing my fear though."

Jack shook his head. "The wolves were blocking my link to you. They could sense we're bonded."

"First Pitch, now the wolves." Out of impulse, Jamie tried to flex his injured limb, but it wouldn't budge. He craned his neck to see his ankle wrapped in a band of clear, solid, ice. Jamie ran a light finger over the brace and Jack explained that the ice was strong enough not to shatter. The boy commented on how _icy_ it felt.

"It won't damage your nerves," Jack shifted Jamie so they sat side by side. "From what North told me, you should be able to withstand some freezing temperatures a lot better than before you bonded."

"Am I even human anymore?"

Jack smiled and hooked an arm around the younger boy. "You're still human, as is Sophie. You won't ever reach immortal status unless the Man in the Moon wants you to. The only difference is that – and this has never really been deeply looked into before – you and your sister may have a couple added years to your life and may age slower, at least that's what North says."

"No way," Jamie groaned. "So, what? I'm going to stay this short until I'm twenty or something?"

Jack's laugh echoed around the clearing. "We're just," Jack breathed to calm himself. "going to have to wait and see."

Jamie's smile disappeared as the bay of the Alpha wolf echoed in the distant woods. The child suddenly had a thought. Jamie cupped his hands in front of his face and Jack resisted the urge to cover his ears at the shrill, unpracticed howl. Jack mussed the boy's hair as disappointment rolled off the child. Jamie was about to ask further questions, until he got a response. This time, the entire pack had joined the howling.

"Wow," Jamie smiled.

"Being that you're bonded with _me_, a previous _Alpha_ to a pack," Jack explained. "In a nutshell, they view you as royalty. If you ever meet them again they'll probably keep a respectful distance from you whether I'm here or not. Who knows," Jack shrugged. "They may even help you out if and when you get yourself in more danger."

"Cool," Jack smirked at the glint in the kid's eyes. "So," Jamie began. "If you couldn't even feel my emotions, then how did you know I needed help?"

"A spirit of autumn told me," Jack said and continued at the tilt of Jamie's head. "The seasons don't exactly get along with each other, but we do care about children. The spirit of autumn would've saved you himself, but he had another town to visit. So, he contacted me."

"Does _everybody_ know we bonded?"

"I don't think the spirit did," Jack shook his head. "But he does know that Burgess is my home and that I would want to defend it."

"How did he contact you? What does he look like?"

Jack smiled crookedly. "Questions, questions," he said. "I never saw him; I don't know what he looks like." Hugging Jamie closer, he tapped the child's temple. "The seasons are capable of exchanging short telepathic messages. You and I will be able to do the same someday."

The winter spirit lightly knocked Jamie's ankle with his staff and the ice band melted. Jamie flexed the limb and smiled. Just like magic, it didn't hurt anymore.

_* I know I said in a previous chapter that Jack wasn't sure if the other seasons were actual beings. I think it's safe to assume that, over the course of time, the other seasons would gradually make themselves a little more known._


	15. Jealous

_* I referenced the book "Magic Below Stairs". **I don't own the book "Magic Below Stairs".** I also referenced the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". **I don't own the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".** I technically also referenced "The Canterbury Tales". **I don't own "The Canterbury Tales".**_

**Requested by: **_Dominosowner_

Jealous

"Hurry, hurry!" A nasally voice rang through the streets. "Come one, come all!" The owner of the voice stood in the park, jester's hat jangling with every proud nod. The bell certainly got the attention of the local kids. Some were steered away from the stranger by their parents, but the rest of the children quickly gathered around the statue.

"Bonjour," The man grinned at his audience. "Step right up, kiddies, and see the show of a lifetime!" The guy rubbed his fingerless gloves together. When he opened his palms, plumes of glittered confetti sprang over the miniscule crowd, causing the children to laugh wondrously. "Plenty more where that came from, children," he chuckled, exposing yellow teeth, but an energetic smile.

Aside from the red hat and striped gloves, the man wore a green and yellow-checkered suit with a red, moth-eaten cravat sticking out and over the collar. He appeared to be just stepping into his adult years and had a stature very much that of a beanpole. Every now and then, for the first few seconds, he would angle his pointed nose to get a whiff of the white rose hooked into a frayed hole on the chest of his suit.

"Ooh," a little girl marveled and tried to reach for the flower.

"Well, hey there, blondie," the man greeted, kneeling to the girl's level. "Want to have a look?" He tapped the flower with a long nail.

Barely able to contain the excitement, the girl held out her hands. The man's smirk widened as he pulled the flower forward. He gave a short yank on the stem and a trickle of water from the center of the rose squirted over the toddler's face. Gasps were heard and a few adults were about to intervene until the park filled with the little girl's bubbly laughter.

"What can I say, blondie?" The man patted her head and shrugged a shoulder. "You looked like you could use a drink of water."

"Her name's Sophie," a little boy spoke up behind the girl.

"Oui, and I," The man took off his hat and flourished down into a dramatic bow. "am Filou Avril. But you may call me the April Fool! Happy spring, uh…"

"Jamie," the young boy finished with a suspicious smile. "Are you really the April Fool?" The other kids looked and murmured at each other.

"Why," the man gripped his heart as if wounded. "I should certainly hope so." An endless strip of multicolored ribbon sprang from the cuff of his right sleeve and looped around once, dangling in front of him.

"Yay, swing!" One of Sophie's friends cheered and ran to sit in the loop of the ribbon. The other children laughed and begged the magician to do more.

While the mysterious man showed the kids various card tricks, and classically pulled a rabbit from a hat, a winter spirit paced nearby in the cool shade on top of a tree branch. He, too, was enjoying the show. At some point, the April Fool would glance up in Jack's direction rather uneasily. Odd at first, but Jack did notice that a police car was sitting just behind him. Although, the police hardly paid mind to the stranger.

"Wow," Jack smiled at his best friend's voice as the magician snapped his fingers. A flame sparked to life and rested in the air between his thumb and index finger.

"Now," The April Fool cleared his throat. "I need a volunteer."

"No way," Claude complained when Cupcake raised her hand. "You had your turn."

"And you went a minute ago," Caleb reminded him. "It's Monty's turn."

"Uh," the bespectacled kid looked nervously at the fire. "No thanks."

"How about you?" The April Fool pointed to Jamie, and Jack shifted at the feeling of Jamie's unease. "Come, boy," the magician encouraged, presenting his wrinkleless hand. "The flame won't bite."

"If you burn him," Jack warned, but slight humor tugged at his lips. "You and I are going to have problems." Of course, the April Fool couldn't hear his words.

Jamie inhaled and held out his palms. With a flick of the wrist, the flame sprang, wheeled through the warm, spring air and landed gracefully in the center of the boy's hand. Jamie gasped and grinned. The fire didn't burn, in fact, it felt rather cold.

The April Fool brushed imaginary dust from his hands. "And, now, for my last-"

"That's so awesome!" One boy whooped.

"I should've volunteered," Monty grumbled.

"You're so lucky, Jamie," Pippa said.

"It's cool," Caleb said with a challenging edge. "But I bet he couldn't make it snow." The other kid's grinned at the sound of a certain winter spirit's chuckle.

"Hmm," the magician scratched his chin before blowing on his hands. "Can't I?" With a grin equally egotistical as Jack's, the April Fool turned his hands, pointing his fingers to the ground.

Jack's blue eyes widened and his jaw hung open. Delicate, crystal-white puffs poured and spread from his fingertips. A light breeze carried the snowflakes over the children, laughter ringing as the snow collected on their skin and clothes.

"Wow." Jack's astonished reverie broke at the sound of that innocent voice.

Jamie laughed again, using a free hand to catch some snowflakes. Jack scrunched his nose, grabbed his staff and jumped out of the tree. Instead of falling to the ground, the wind caught him and whisked him all the way to the statue, and he perched against it.

An invisible spark panged his insides when he stood behind the performing stranger. None of the kids even gave Jack a second glance, except for Jamie. The boy instantly looked up and Jack thought his friend was going to comment on the snow. Instead, Jamie held up the flame in his other hand and grinned. Jack chuckled and smiled warmly, giving a half-hearted thumbs-up.

The April Fool raised his eyebrows and looked behind him. "What are you staring at, boy?" He asked.

"Jack Frost," Jamie said without hesitation.

The April Fool shook his head. "What an imagination." Jamie quickly jerked back as the man reached to ruffle the child's hair.

Jack narrowed his eyes and the chord inside him twitched.

"As I was saying," the magician waved his hand and the snow disappeared. "For my final trick," he paused with a smirk as some kids moaned in disappointment. He turned to Jamie. "I need you to do one thing for me."

Jamie's gaze kept shifting back to the winter spirit. The child felt Jack's growing anger and impatience, but couldn't figure out the reason. "Maybe," Jamie started and tried to offer his friend the flame. "Monty should do it."

"Nonsense," the April Fool exclaimed, waggling a brow. "Why? Is _Jack Frost_ jealous?"

Jamie frowned at his mockery and he didn't need to look up, for he already felt the flare of irritation that rolled off Jack. The child didn't understand. Why were most adults so close-minded? Why couldn't they ever see things like Jack Frost and the Guardians; what happened to their belief?

"Now," the April Fool abruptly turned Jamie's palms so they were facing the sky. "All I need you to do," he smiled softly at the boy. "is keep your hands still." He turned back to the rest of the children. "Is everyone ready, or must I wait a moment?" The anxious shouts of the anticipating crowd resounded, giving him the answer.

The April Fool looked up at the blue sky, then back down at Jamie, and gave him a wink. The man suddenly flicked the backs of Jamie's hands and the miniscule fire skyrocketed. As the flame shot into the atmosphere, oxygen caused it to double in size, to triple, quadruple, until finally…

_Kaboom!_ The ball of fire burst with a crackle, bright, festive sparks covering the sky.

The kids, as well as some adults, cheered and laughed at the finale. Everyone clapped and the one and only April Fool bowed.

"Sure," Jack scoffed floating to the ground. "Anybody could've done that. It's called 'fireworks'." Jamie looked at Jack and chuckled at his comment. The winter spirit brightened at this and began twirling his staff like a baton.

When the energy died down, the kids started to leave for home or go off to another part of the park to play and talk about the amazing stranger. However, Jamie stayed and watched as the magician started packing up his gear.

"Ready to go," Jamie shook his head and turned at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Where?" Jamie smiled.

"Mm," Jack mused. "Well, I do want to atleast start_ exposing _you to magic. How about," his grinned widened. "we have lesson one in the Warren."

"You're going to get an earful from Bunny," Jamie chuckled.

"I didn't hear a 'no'." With that, Jack grabbed under the kid's arms, ready to fly off.

"Hey, kid," a nasally voice stopped the duo. Jack's stare turned icy as Jamie spun to look at the magician. The April Fool twitched a bony finger. "Come here for a moment."

Jamie huffed, and Jack just narrowly missed snatching the boy as he started walking cautiously to the man. Groaning, Jack flew swiftly until he was floating right next to Jamie.

"What's up, April Fool," the child asked suspiciously as Jack landed and leaned on his staff. Jamie didn't even bat an eye when Jack placed his staff directly in front of the kid, a protective gesture that Jamie had gotten used to.

The man paused and smirked at the boy. "Please," he asked, putting the last of his stuff away. "Call me Filou, or Fil. Whichever you prefer."

"Fil?" Jack scoffed, jokingly.

"Enjoyed the show, today?"

Jamie paused and thought before grinning a little. "Definitely."

"The snow was the best part?" The man raised a knowing eyebrow.

Jamie hesitated at the winter spirit's piercing gaze. "It…almost was," he admitted. "But I bet you couldn't make enough for snow days."

The April Fool laughed. "You are correct," he said, making Jack grin haughtily. "My magic has not much purpose and therefore does not have that kind of energy."

Jack laughed as he watched the guy flip his hat over into a gym bag. "Stylish," the spirit joked. "But you're a bit early for the Renaissance Festival."

Filou grinned. "I am aware; the hat is merely part of my act, as are these." He grimaced, yanking pointy shoes from his feet and stuffing them in the bag, completely barefoot now. "But thank you for the reminder." Jack and Jamie's eyes widened and the staff clattered to the ground. Filou looked amusedly between the two boys. "…Yes?"

"Y-you can hear him?" Jamie stuttered.

"Hear him, see him," Filou waved a hand. "Honestly, a barefoot boy with a shepherd's crook is just a _tad_ noticeable." The man fished a chocolate bar from his bag and passed it to Jamie. "A gift, for my favorite volunteer. Eat," he said with a coaxing smile before turning to Jack. "All immortals can see each other."

"Filou Avril," Jack breathed in realization. "_Trickster of April_."

The man nodded. "Haven't visited Burgess in many years," Filou stood. "As the first of April, I couldn't pick a more fitting occasion."

"Fitting," Jack repeated the word with a scowl.

"You're immortal?" Jamie asked between bites.

"Oui," Filou said with a wistful expression. "I am but a humble magician, nothing special."

"Nothing special," Jamie spluttered. Filou's smirk didn't go unnoticed by Jack. "You snapped your fingers and made fire. Nobody can do that. It was ama-"

"And while we're all very impressed," Jack cut in, stepping in between Jamie and Filou. "I want to know what you're doing here."

"Funny," Filou scratched the cleft in his chin. "I could say the same for you. In fact, I'm waiting for you to melt right now."

"It's not that warm," Jack said, ignoring a bead of sweat tumbling down his neck. "And it is my town."

The April Fool smiled comically, bowed, and said without looking up, "My apologies, your highness." Jack frowned. "And to answer your majesty's question," he straightened up. "I am actually here for the child."

Jack gripped his staff tighter, glancing back at his friend who had ceased munching on the chocolate bar. "What do you want with Jamie?" Jack demanded, nudging the child behind his back when Jamie tried to peer around to get a better look.

"Oh, it's not just Jamie," he shook his head. "It could be any child, really. Every magician needs an assistant, you see, and I'm in the market for one."

Jamie swallowed. "The market?" Jack snapped. "Go to the corner store," he waved his staff in the town's direction. "Maybe they have one in stock."

"One trickster to another, I would've laughed at that if you weren't threatening to freeze me right now. Loosen up a bit," Filou tried to glance behind the winter spirit, but Jamie was concealed rather well.

"I can't imagine what this weather must be doing to you, even if you _can_ control your body temperature," he said, pointing to the discolored circles under Jack's eyes. "Which means you wouldn't be here," he paused like the dramatic performer he was. "unless you bonded with the boy." They heard Jamie groan. "Oh, it's not your fault, child. All bonded kids stick out from the rest."

"If you knew I bonded with Jamie-"

"I didn't know for sure, but thank you for the confirmation. 'Tis a shame, too," Filou appeared saddened. "Such a sweet child. And has a remarkable sense for the supernatural. I think he figured me out right off the bat. A pity. He would be very useful in my performances."

The wind whipped around Filou and Jack, the breeze somehow avoiding a nervous Jamie. "He's a kid," Jack fumed. "Not a prop. And you can't force a kid to bond with you."

"I've found it's quite the contrary, actually. All they need is a little persuading, something to make them fond of you." He smirked at Jamie who was just barely visible behind his Guardian. "By the way, did you like the show, Jamie?" He asked again and the boy blinked in realization.

Jamie, taught by the infamous Jack Frost, was about to retort with sarcasm until he finally caught a glimpse of Filou's green eyes. The man's gaze wasn't cruel nor malicious, but genuine and slightly distant. A smooth talker and a wisecracker, yes, but he had yet to utter a spiteful word.

"Bond with some other kid," Jack growled. "This one's mine."

The magician chuckled. "Awful hard to tell if you're being jealous or possessive. Very well," he said cheerfully, neatly tugging the hems and sleeves of his suit. "I shall scour some other town. However, if the boy becomes too frustrating for you to look after-"

"Then, I'll release my stress by burying you under several miles of snow," Jack donned a smirk and leaned close to the man. "And my snow isn't fake." Filou's playful grin faded into a downright offended scowl. Jack's smile broadened until he felt a small tug on his hoodie.

"Jack," Jamie asked as the winter spirit instantly knelt down. "Can we go, please?"

Jack smiled and ran a hand through the kid's hair to ease the boy's tension. Jack nodded and Jamie climbed onto his back. He turned back to the magician one last time.

"If you're still here by tomorrow-"

"You'll bury me under miles of snow," Filou rolled his eyes. "Heard you the first time. Don't worry, by tomorrow evening I won't even be in the state." Filou extended his hand.

Jack stared at the gesture, grimaced, and took off into the air. Before they even left the ground, Jack thought he heard Jamie say 'good luck'.

* * *

"You're real quiet," Jack commented, tapping Jamie's shoulder with his staff.

"Huh, oh," Jamie muttered looking at the littered ground. "I was just thinking of Fil." Jack was silent. "Filou." Jamie rephrased.

The spirit's blue irises narrowed dangerously. "I won't let him near you."

Jamie shook his head. "He didn't want to hurt me." The two stopped under a street light. Jack picked up the child and set him on a ledge of cement blocks landscaping the perimeter of an apartment building. With Jamie now at eye level, Jack waited.

"I just," Jamie began, rubbing his arm. "I think he's just lonely."

"Lonely," Jack scoffed, leaning forward on his staff.

"If he's immortal," the child continued. "Think of how old he probably is. Think of how long he's gone without friends or family."

Jack's frown slipped and he nodded.

"Even if kids _and_ adults can see him, he doesn't have anybody travelling with him. He probably does have friends, but he can't fly off and visit them whenever he wants to like you can."

Jack nodded again and tilted his head to the side. "You told him good luck?"

"In finding someone to bond with."

Jack flexed his jaw. He stared intently at the nine-year-old, and his eyebrows came together as he felt Jamie's sympathy.

"Want me to go flag him down?" Jack asked.

Jamie blinked. "Sure," he said. "But from the way you threatened him, he probably isn't even in the county anymore."

"True," Jack shrugged. "But I may see him on my way to the mountains; I want to apologize to him." He let out a long whistle that echoed in the night air. "So much trouble all because I'm being an overprotective big brother."

Jamie smiled. "Jack," he rubbed his neck. "I think you were jealous."

"Was not."

"I can feel your emotions, Jack."

The winter spirit groaned. "He impressed you," Jack admitted. "With snow. That's _my_ thing."

"Yeah, he made it snow," Jamie mused. "But he can't make enough for snowball fights."

"So, that's why you bonded with me," Jack smiled mischievously, placing his hands firmly on Jamie's shoulders. "So I can give you snow days?"

Not a second later, Jack locked Jamie in his embrace and tickled his sides. The evening air filled with laughter and playful squeals and when Jack finally released Jamie, the child quickly reeled around and launched himself back into Jack's arms.

"I don't want to be bonded with anybody else," Jamie whispered into the hoodie. Jack nodded, tightening his grip around the little kid.

The winter spirit sighed, perfectly content holding his little brother.

_* _'Filou Avril'_ is french and _roughly_ translates to "_Trickster of April_". Supposedly the earliest record of anything related to April first, as well as its prankish context, was in _The Canterbury Tales_, written by Geoffrey Chaucer. Being that Chaucer's name is french, I thought it was fitting to make the April Fool slightly french, as well._

_Anyway, still taking requests. I need inspiration for more light-hearted one-shots, but any kind of request would do. Also, Filou is actually not one of the OC's I mentioned in the previous chapter. _


	16. Taffy

_* Just letting you know, I'm working on original works right now. Not just fanfiction. So I may not be able to update as often, but I promise you won't have to wait too long._

**Requested by**:_ iwasraisedbymybrothers_ and quite possibly a few other people (depending on the plot you were looking for)

Taffy

"I still don't understand why you did this, Jamie!" Tooth scolded with a wagging finger.

Jack choked through a chuckle and the child playfully clubbed the spirit's arm.

Punjam Hy Loo, or known simply as the Tooth Palace, was abuzz as usual. All the fairies swarmed around the trio, going about their usual work. Jack and Toothiana stayed calmly in place, barely taking heed to their close proximity as they zipped passed. But, to Jamie, the little fairies were like speeding bullets just narrowly missing his head and shoulders as they flew by.

"Oh no you don't," Tooth exclaimed, grabbing Jamie mid-jump to place him back on the counter. Jamie groaned and rolled his eyes as Tooth sifted through his mouth again, inspecting the dilemma.

Tooth sighed. She removed her hands only to firmly cup Jamie's chin. "What on _earth_ compelled you to eat this much taffy," she demanded.

"He dared me!" Jamie pointed hastily at the winter spirit who was just about bursting with laughter.

"Somehow," Tooth said, fluttering back and scratching her chin. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Hey," Jack threw his hands up defensively. His smirk widened. "He had left-over Halloween candy and neither of us wanted it to go to waste." Tooth scoffed. Even though she was forcing herself to restrain the instinctual turmoil to dote on Jamie's teeth, Tooth still managed a small grin.

"You two wait here," she said as she began floating to an upper balcony. "I'll be right back with something to scrape that taffy off."

"_Scrape_?" Jamie squeaked.

Jack chuckled, his tone involuntarily softening at the hint of Jamie's fear. Jamie moaned in disgust as he flicked his tongue over the caked taffy on his teeth. The poor kid couldn't even close his jaw because his top and bottom teeth would immediately stick together.

Jamie flashed a glare at his Guardian. "I blame you for this."

Jack smiled at the boy. "Not my fault you love taffy so much," he joked, crossing his arms.

"You dared me to!"

"But you didn't have to go through with it," Jack shook his head, grin plastered to his face. He pointed his staff in the boy's direction. "You're close to perfecting sarcasm and you have incredible accuracy in a snowball war, but I still have a lot to teach you. And your next lesson," Jack swung his staff over his shoulders. "is the proper way to eat candy so Tooth doesn't have an aneurism."

Jamie sighed in exasperation and flopped back to lie on the counter. The child pursed his lips, tongue trying to free the taffy on the roof of his mouth. Jamie screwed his eyes shut to rest until Tooth's return. He never particularly liked the dentist and that opinion has yet to change. The irritation only furthered when a shadow loomed over him.

"Let me see," Jack chuckled, looking into hazel eyes. After a moment, Jamie complied. The winter spirit gazed at the kid's teeth and narrowed his eyes before pouring energy into the staff. The weapon glowed and Jack used it as a flashlight to get a better view of his friend's teeth.

"No offense, kiddo," Jack said, gazing at the brightly colored candy. "But pink is not your color. I mean, I can't even tell the difference between taffy and gums right now."

Jamie almost rolled his eyes until he noticed Jack's mischievous expression. The boy gulped. "Jack…" he warned.

"You know," Jack said, gently holding the child's chin so that he couldn't close his mouth. "I still haven't gotten revenge on you from the reindeer incident."

Jamie's eyes instantly widened and before he could snap his mouth shut, Jack already tapped the hook of the staff against the kid's jaw. He gasped as a sharp chill rushed over his face. When the cold didn't subside, Jamie sat up and ran a fingernail over his teeth.

"Jack," he exclaimed as the spirit busted out in laughter. "You better unfreeze the taffy before the tooth fairy gets back, or else…"

"O-or else what, pipsqueak," Jack said, the volume of his laughter rising as Jamie's cheeks erupted bright red in anger.

"Fix it," the nine-year-old demanded in a shrill tone, pointing to his teeth. Well, at least he_ looked_ nine. A year or two had passed after the day they bonded.

"…Nah," Jack decided flippantly. "I'll wait until Tooth gets back. Unless," Jack wagged an eyebrow while leaning forward on his staff, his pale forehead just barely brushing Jamie's. "you want to unfreeze it yourself."

"Yeah right," Jamie scoffed, crossing his arms. "You still haven't taught me any magic, yet."

Jack shrugged. "It's dangerous stuff, kiddo. I want to wait another year."

Jamie grimaced. "But I don't want to wait another year to become your apprentice."

"Apprentice, huh?" Jack grinned softly, mussing the kid's hair. "Actually, you've probably been my apprentice since the fight with Pitch during Easter." Jamie grinned at this. "Don't worry," Jack waved a hand. "We'll be starting your magic before you know it."

Jamie sighed. "Thanks Jack," he mumbled, still smiling lightly. He opened his mouth again. "Can you unfreeze my teeth now?"

"Nope."

Jamie was about to argue further before he pulled out his secret weapon. The little boy downcast his gaze and jutted his lower lip. And for the icing on the cake, he produced a soft, almost unintelligible, sigh.

Of course, Jack could feel Jamie's every emotion and detected zero hints of anything regarding that of sorrow. Jack shook his head incredulously and averted his eyes, trying to remain unfazed by the kid's sad expression.

"Fine," Jack caved, exhaling after a moment. "You win." Through his smile, Jamie pushed his lip out further. "That's it," Jack accused, pulling his charge into a headlock. "You're not allowed to be this adorable anymore. Now open your mouth so I can unfreeze the taffy."

Jamie smiled triumphantly and began parting his jaw. He blinked, grabbed his own chin, and pushed. His innocent eyes widened as he tried to pry his mouth apart, but it wouldn't budge. Jamie swallowed in panic and he looked desperately to the winter spirit.

"Let me guess," Jack barked a laugh. "Your teeth froze together?"

Jamie mumbled an exclamation, eyes wide with alarm. It wasn't Jack's fault this time. The ice that claimed the taffy spread until it fuzed with other bits of the candy. It was Jamie's own, unpracticed winter powers to be blamed.

"Yeah," Jack decided. He stepped away from Jamie, twirling his staff. "You're at Tooth's mercy now, kid."

The winter spirit laughed at the child's grumbling. Though Jack's smile bordered on sympathetic, he still leaned against a pillar enjoying a sweet taste of revenge.

* * *

The Easter Bunny, overall, preferred chocolate. He knew the perfect recipes and it was one of the most iconic treats in an Easter basket. However, the children of the world tended to be picky, so he found himself dabbling more and more with a variety of candy.

And who better to test his latest creations than his favorite little ankle biter? After given a small tray of taffy, Sophie immediately fled around the Warren to go in pursuit of a butterfly and had later ran off to chase a small horde of Easter eggs. Bunnymund merely laughed and watched his bond take off to play. He would go find the tray when Sophie laid down for a nap.

However, an hour had passed and the little girl had yet to return. Bunny's nose twitched. That wasn't like her. Though easily distracted and carrying the freedom to traverse anywhere in the Warren, the ankle biter still knew to frequently check back with the rabbit, especially if Bunny wasn't trailing along with her like he normally did.

A voice nagged at the back of Bunny's mind. Although, it wasn't his own voice, but someone else's. It almost sounded like Sophie's. Drooping an ear in confusion, the Guardian took off to search around the Warren. Eventually, a few sentinel eggs nodded him in the right direction.

Under the shade of a very tiny willow tree, one of Sophie's favorite spots in the Warren, sat the aluminum tray that once held little squares of taffy. But they were gone, as was Sophie. Bunny was about to sprint off until a flash of pink squirmed out of the bushes. The rabbit's jaw dropped.

The little ankle biter's unkempt hair was messed up further by the abundant strings of sticky candy. Skinny wads of taffy pulled at her hair and even went so far as to wrap around her waist and legs. Bunny would be picking taffy out of her hair – and toenails – for the next hour or two.

Sophie attempted to tug away some of the candy, and the chord inside Bunny twanged sharply at the girl's yelp of pain.

"Come here, ankle biter," Bunny reached forward to scoop the child up in his arms and ignored the patches of taffy that clung to his fur. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Sophie giggled cheerfully in his arms. She plucked a few chunks of taffy from her shoulder and passed it to Bunnymund's face.

"Candy," the little girl offered. Bunny made to refuse until his eyes fell upon those big green orbs. He tore his gaze away and chuckled at the taffy wrapped around the toddlers tiny form. Actually, she should be leaving her toddler years very soon, but the bond prevented that kind of aging, for the while.

Sophie opened her palms, still offering the taffy to the rabbit. Bunnymund took the candy in his other paw while the ankle biter nuzzled her cheek into his soft fur.

Bunny blinked after he stashed the taffy away. "You are not allowed to be this adorable," he concluded with a grin and the shake of his head.

_* I know some of you may not have been expecting that version of Jack's revenge, but I may think of something better (an alternate revenge, if you will). Keep the requests coming guys. And there's a reason why I haven't done some of the older requests yet, but I will save that reason for another day. It's a surprise! _

_By the way, thank you so much for reviewing guys. The constructive criticism and comments help so much! Thank you!_


	17. Haust: Part 1

_* By the way, I read a head-canon rumor that Jack made sure his lake was frozen all year round; this was an odd bit of magic used in other, multiple fanfictions. I hope you guys don't mind if I use this bit of information. If you do, I'll have no problems immediately changing it (it takes on a very minor role in the chapter)._

**Requested by: **_LillithDemon (I highly doubt this is exactly what you were looking for, though.)_

Haust (Part 1)

"And so I hope all of you will give him a warm welcome," the teacher said, patting the new kid's shoulder. A murmured agreement swept around the classroom. Aside from the bullies, and Jamie Bennett's doodling, all the children gave the newcomer inviting smiles.

Jamie stole a glance in the new student's direction. The boy was just above his height – everybody in Jamie's grade was taller than he was, now – and had thin, red hair that lightly shadowed his amber eyes. The kid seemed to stand straight with a certain pride, but rubbed the back of his head with an easy-going manner. Jamie cocked his head, scrutinized the other boy, and shrugged, resuming to his notebook.

"…That's hard to explain," Jamie heard the new kid say. He was only catching snippets of his introduction.

"You see," the new kid continued, hands drifting calmly to his sides. "My…family moves around a lot."

"Is it because of your parents' jobs?" Monty asked after raising his hand.

"Kind of," the new boy muttered. "But we also move around just because we can. We're always travelling."

"Wow," a tall girl in the back row breathed. "You must be rich if you can go wherever and whenever you want like that."

"No way," the boy said coolly, hand returning to his neck. "If we were rich we wouldn't have to go all over the place." Then, his dark blond eyebrows came together, as if rethinking those words.

"What's the most awesome place you've been to?" Claude asked.

"Aspen, Colorado," he said without pause, voice peaking slightly at the nostalgia. A few kids groaned; they were hoping the boy would mention a place outside the U.S. "It may not be Iceland or Russia," the boy smiled, noticing their disappointment. "But our lodge in Aspen is my most favorite place. You should see the trees over there during autumn!"

"You're favorite season's autumn?" The teacher asked.

"You bet!" Though briefly, Jamie did look up long enough to see the shy smile widen on the kid's face.

"Well," the teacher said, grabbing a piece of chalk to start jotting notes on the board. "Thank you so much for your generous answers. You'll have no problem fitting in in this classroom." She looked to the rest of her students. "Does anyone else have any questions for Nicky?" Her green eyes fell on a certain brown-haired boy. "How about you, Jamie?"

The child jumped in his seat, colored pencil clattering to the floor. "Huh, what?" His wide, confused eyes earned quiet snickers from the other kids, all except from the new kid. "Um, no, ma'am," he mumbled with a tinge of embarrassment.

"Excellent! As a matter of fact, Nicky," the teacher used the chalk to point. "Why don't you take the empty seat next to Jamie?" With a casual shrug, Nicky shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown jacket and sat quietly next to his fellow student.

"Hi, I'm Jamie Bennett," he extended his hand, which his new friend happily took.

"And I'm Nicky," he said. "Nicky Haust." Nicky then smiled as if someone said a rather funny joke.

* * *

Nicky flicked some leftover fallen leaves across the dirt trail. A chill flashed over him and he tucked his jacket closer. With autumn coming to an end, everyone in Burgess was now preparing for winter.

"What do you guys do for fun around here?" Nicky asked as he and Jamie trekked through the woods.

"There's hiking, for one," Jamie said, wiping some sweat on the sleeve of his tee shirt. It was now his turn to smile jokingly. Jamie rarely got too chilly, not until the _very_ peak of winter. At that time, he would end up switching from a heavy sweater to a light coat.

"But with the snow coming," Jamie continued. "There's a lot more to do. Snowball fights and forts, ice skating, sledding, hot choc-"

"Winter's okay, I guess," Nicky admitted, but stopped in the midst of his wide stretch. "Oh, wow!"

The duo came to a stop at the tree line, looking down over the hill onto a lake. Jamie pursed his lips. _Jack froze the pond early this year_, he noted. Jamie blinked when Nicky suddenly took off to run at full speed to the shoreline.

Nicky kneeled and rapped his knuckles against the frozen surface. With a delighted laugh, the little kid stepped out onto the ice. "I heard a rumor that this lake's frozen all year round, but I thought it was just a story. This is so cool! You coming, Jamie?"

The child chewed his lip, shoulders sagging. Oh, he wasn't worried for his friend's safety! During the cold months, Jack Frost frequently checked to be sure his lake was solid as rock for anyone, young or old, wishing to skate. But…

"I'm not allowed to." Jamie shrugged.

Nicky stalled his sliding. "But you suggested ice skating. I just assumed you-"

"I do ice skate," Jamie explained in haste. "But-"

"Your parents won't let you?"

Jamie huffed, trying to find the words that didn't make him sound like a wuss. "My parents let me, but the, uh…" Sighing embarrassedly, Jamie hung his head a little. "It's just… the, uh, _nanny_ won't let me unless h-she watches me."

"You have a nanny?" Nicky raised a comical eyebrow. "Dude, you – we're almost in middle school."

"I've known him, I mean, her for a while now. We're like family."

"But she won't even let you ice skate," Nicky scoffed, crouching on the ice and peeling away his shoes to use his socks for better traction.

"Overprotective," Jamie summed it up.

"Who's overprotective?"

Jamie nearly jumped a foot in the air before twisting around, and he had to stifle a shocked gasp. The man towering over him had shaggy, pale hair that fell lifelessly to his shoulders. He was almost as gaunt as Pitch Black, and wore a tanned cloak that reached down passed his knees.

The man's gaze was sharp, and his lips twitched humorously at Jamie's wary form. Jamie had every right to be suspicious. Always standing on the metaphorical line that divided the human and the magical world, the child soon learned that suspicion – and wonder – was a perfectly valid basis.

"Nicholas, off the ice," the man said with a gruffly aged voice after tearing attention away from Jamie. "There's been a change of plans."

"What?" Nicky exclaimed. "But we just-" He was cut off by the raising of the man's finger. "Fine," he said with an annoyed grumble. "I'm coming. Sorry Jamie."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow." Jamie smiled in understanding as Nicky walked over to the man.

Nicky blinked and looked up, not the least bit intimidated by the guy's looming figure. "_Am_ I going to school tomorrow, Silas?"

The man shook his head. "We've other places to go."

Nicky shot Jamie a glance. "But-"

"This isn't for debate," Silas growled. "I am thrilled you've made friends, but there's a problem." The man cast a sharp gaze at Jamie. "I'm sorry to be taking your fun away, but we have a schedule to keep."

"We're not that far into the season, though," Nicky tried to reason.

But Silas hushed him, staring intently at Jamie.

With a thoughtful hum, Silas took hardly a stride in making his way to the boy. A frosty, chilling breeze whipped Jamie's hair as the man kneeled to his level and grabbed his shoulder. The wind seemed to pick up in anger, and the child gulped. However, Jamie wasn't concerned for his _own_ life. As Silas stared fixedly into his chocolate eyes his grip suddenly tightened, making Jamie squirm in an attempt to free his arm.

Silas squinted. "I-"

"Can I help you with something?" A voice called from the branch of a nearby tree, causing Silas to automatically release the boy and step back.

Jamie craned his gaze towards the voice. A mildly irritated Jack Frost leaned casually against the trunk. Stepping onto a low-hanging branch, the spirit gracefully and silently jumped to the ground, taking his place next to Jamie. Jack's eyes narrowed at Nicky and Silas' blindsided expressions.

"You can see each other?" Jamie gasped with a growing grin.

"And this is why we're leaving," Silas muttered to Nicky before turning a respectful eye to Jack. "I hope you forgive our intrusion," he said as Jack loosened up some. "I knew too late that this was your territory."

Jack pointed to Jamie. "He comes with it." The child winced at Jack's emotions. The winter spirit was hardly pleased that someone was intimidating his little brother.

"I see that now," Silas nodded. "Again, I apologize. I know better than to mess with someone else's bond."

"Who are you?" Jack steadily asked, but remained guarded.

"I am Silas Fer," the man said, dipping his head in a proper greeting. He swung a hand in the other kid's direction. "And this Nicky Haust, my apprentice." He suddenly cast a piercing gaze into Jack's blue eyes. "That pond of yours is completely solid, yes?"

"Of course," Jack scoffed, as if insulted.

"It'd better be," Silas growled. "If Nicky ever falls through that ice, this world will be short one less winter spirit."

Jack's mouth twisted in a mischievous grin. "Game on," he said, relaxing and leaning forward to shake Silas' calloused hand. "But I _am_ a Guardian. What do you take me for?"

"I congratulate you on your status," Silas managed a smile. "I consider you lucky to be working alongside North. He's a dear friend of mine."

At the gentle shift in conversation, Nicky and Jamie found themselves standing side by side, watching the older spirits talk as if they were long lost friends. Though Jamie did find their conversation rather interesting, he even had to agree with Nicky's vague expression as they listened.

"Hey, Silas," Nicky piped up after a while. "Aren't we leaving, or can Jamie and I go exploring?"

"Hmm. You know, I wouldn't mind hearing how North and the others are doing…" Silas scratched his chin. "We'll meet back here in an hour, and stay with each other."

"Don't worry," Nicky swiveled his head nonchalantly, all too ready to take off down the throng of unmarked trails. "We've been going here for decades. I know this place like the back of my hand." Jamie's mouth dropped at the word 'decades', and Nicky tried to drag him out of his stupor.

"Be careful," Jack smiled after Jamie shook out of his daze. "And don't lose your hat again, either," he chuckled as he knelt to ruffle the kid's hair through his hat. "It blew halfway across the state when the wind took it off your head last week." Jack smiled jokingly and thoughtfully. "You have a snack on you, too, right? In case you get hungry?"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "We'll be fine, Jack."

"Well," Jack's smirk widened impishly. "I am the _nanny_; I have to do my job right." He suddenly pulled Jamie into an inescapable hug, and proceeded to press a cold, loud, sloppy kiss to the little kid's cheek.

"_Yuuugh!_" Jamie shrieked, furiously wiping at his face and wriggling out of the Guardian's hysterically laughing frame. Jamie tossed Jack a lighthearted glare. "You'll pay for that later," the boy grumbled irritably, before making a promising nod. "We'll be careful."

Jack laughed and stood, watching the two kids take off for the denser parts of the woods.

"Nicky," Silas called as his apprentice obediently spun at the voice. "No going near the wolves. Their food is becoming scarce and they're acting more aggressive."

"But the wolves like me," Nicky protested. Silas raised an eyebrow, causing the little boy to sigh compliantly. "Yes, sir…"

Silas nodded. "No wolves," he repeated for emphasis.

Jack wagged an eyebrow. "And make sure to look both ways before crossing the street," he said above his chuckling, wagging a finger in Jamie's direction. "And don't talk to strangers."

"Shut up, Jack," the winter spirit heard Jamie mumble, and his grin broadened. Jamie also muttered something about revenge, but his words drifted out of earshot.

* * *

Jamie could only nod owlishly.

Apparently, Nicky and Silas had been to many parts of the world. Their job was simply to spread autumn. As senior and junior fall spirits, it was their job to look after the season, making sure the leaves were crisp and sharp, possessing luscious shades of red and gold. It was interesting for the fact that Silas and Nicky took care of autumn in their own ways.

With the help of the wind, Nicky made sure that every patch of backyard got leaves just perfect for making piles to jump in. However, from the tiring effects of this process, Nicky would accidentally make the leaves prematurely brown and once they changed, the color couldn't be reversed until next year.

Aside from joining in the changing of the season, Silas' job was initially to be the peacemaker. Silas made it his duty to soothe summer. The summer spirits were an irritable bunch and absolutely despised the intrusions of colder weather. Year after year, Silas always found himself calmly subduing the summer spirits, convincing them that balance and change were expected, and simply follows natural order. Though reluctant, the spirits would eventually give in and allow their fellow seasons to drop the temperature.

"He keeps trying to drag me to those meetings," Nicky smoothed a hand through his russet hair after they slid down a mossy slope, continuing deeper and deeper into the woods. "But I'm just not interested in summers' opinions. I like calm; I want to avoid fights. If that means flying off somewhere to spread fall, then I'm going to do that."

"You can fly?!" Jamie gaped wondrously, almost tripping over loose gravel.

"Man, are you clumsy," Nicky snorted good-naturedly. He suddenly jumped high and paused, staying above the ground for a few suspended seconds before touching down. "I can only hover. Autumn winds aren't as strong as winter winds, so I can't stay in the air too high or for too long."

He suddenly clapped Jamie over the shoulder. "But I'm jealous of you," he said, grinning wistfully. "I'm bonded with an autumn spirit, but you're bonded with _the_ Jack Frost. Your magic can totally out-do mine."

"M-magic," Jamie stuttered.

"I bet you go flying whenever you want. _Wherever_ you want. Hey! Can you make a blizzard? Like, right now?!"

"Um," Jamie stumbled a little, caught off-guard by his friend's excitement.

Nicky's eyebrows came expectantly together. "You _can_ do magic…right?"

Jamie paused and opened his mouth. "_Pfft_!" He laughed. "Of _course_ I can do magic! I _did_ bond with Jack Frost, remember?"

"Awesome," Nicky fist-pumped. "Make it snow or something!"

With a scattered mind and a shaky chuckle, Jamie put his hands together as if about to pull off some form of wintry spell. Nicky suddenly gasped in awe before turning and racing a couple feet away around the bend.

Jamie sighed in relief, and unease. Jack had yet to teach him any amount of magic, and the stuff he tried to secretly learn on his own resulted in either doing the exact opposite, or ended in a total backfire. He still had the lingering nudge of a headache long after trying to make icicles grow from the gutters above his window.

"Wow," Nicky gasped as he and Jamie rounded a corner.

The tall face of a small mountain protruded from a hillside. The cliff stood as tall as two wild pine trees, and its jagged edges cracked and crumbled from what looked like centuries of wear and age.

"Let's go!" Nicky said grabbing onto one of the cliff's edges. "I haven't been rock climbing in twenty-five years, I think."

"Rock climbing," Jamie repeated, ignoring Nicky's lack of aging.

"You've rock climbed before right?"

With a shuddering gulp, Jamie found himself stupidly placing his hands against the rocky surface. He was about to make an excuse not to continue, but realized his bluff would've been called. The wide cracks and ledges created perfect footholds for the kids.

"You okay?" Nicky asked when Jamie let out an uneasy breath. "Don't worry," the young spirit said without care. "If you fall, you can just ask the wind to catch you. No, wait!" Nicky suddenly disagreed with excitement. "You can conjure up a huge pile of snow to break your fall. That way we can have a snowball fight afterward! Being a spirit of autumn doesn't allow much time to do that sort of thing."

"Yeah," Jamie mumbled, arms already quivering from clinging onto the cliff for so long. "Why not?"

Nicky smiled, flashing slightly yellow teeth, before beginning to scale up the mountainside. Jamie gave a puff of air and made to move. He almost screamed when his left hand slipped on some moss, almost falling backwards. Jamie instantly flailed and made purchase on another cliff edge. With sweat beading on his neck, the child slowly looked down. And he smacked his forehead when he saw the one-foot gap between his feet and the ground. Even the Boogeyman would be mocking Jamie's needless fear right now.

"Come on, dude!" Nicky, who was almost halfway up, called.

Jamie swallowed again and yelled that he was on his way. "I'm going to get in so much trouble…" Jamie sung in whisper to himself.

If the fall from the cliff didn't kill him, then Jack surely would.

*_ In homage to the Icelandic Cod from "How to Train Your Dragon', Nicky's last name 'Haust' roughly translates to 'autumn' in Icelandic. Under the same language, Silas' last name 'Fer' roughly translates to 'leaves'. _

_Whereas, 'Silas' is a Greek name that means 'woods' or 'forest'._

_I know it seems like there's a few plotholes in this chapter, but I promise that a lot more will be explained in part two. Hope you guys like it so far! **Again, this isn't SLASH**. I sincerely hope that the kiss Jack gave Jamie didn't give off that indication. If it did, let me know, please._


	18. Haust: Part 2

*_I referenced the book series "The Saga Of Larten Crepsley".** I don't own "The Saga of Larten Crepsley".** I also referenced the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".** I don't own the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".**_

Haust (Part 2) _(Warning! Slight mention of blood in this chapter, but I promise that it's far from anything too bad.)_

"No wonder the summer spirits hate me," Jack grumbled with a light snicker.

Silas waved a hand to block a tree branch from his path. "They are irritated all too easily. They have no patience." He paused. "And neither does Nicky."

"I'm sure he has patience," Jack shrugged before waving his staff to the sky. "But you're not making it easy for him," he said with a crooked grin. Light, delicate snowflakes began drifting through the woods. "If he doesn't want to go see these spirits, he doesn't have to."

"Really?" Silas speculated. "Correct me, but isn't that like saying Jamie shouldn't practice magic?" Jack sucked in a breath, hissing through his pearly teeth. The elder blinked. "You mean, you haven't taught him magic yet."

Jack rubbed his neck with the crook of his staff. "No exactly," he admitted. "We've been trying to get around to lesson one, and he's actually been trying to do magic on his own when he thinks I'm not looking."

"You're not _allowing_ him to do magic." The man shuffled down a slope with the grace of a twenty-year-old dog. Jack didn't want to guess how old this comrade was, but there was an underlying youthful spark in Silas' eyes. North also possessed this spark. However old or aged he appeared, the spirit knew that this old man still had some fight in him.

Silas sat down on a cache of crumbling boulders. And Jack followed suit, pressing the butt of his staff against the slowly freezing ground and jumping nimbly to crouch atop the hook of the staff. The winter spirit sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Every time he uses magic," Jack began, worry and confusion clouding cerulean eyes. "He's close to passing out. Besides," Jack suddenly waved his hand at the air. "I can protect him."

"Is that so," Silas quipped, lounging back.

"We've been bonded for almost a solid two years," Jack grinned, feeling pretty proud of himself. "And there's not a scratch on the kid."

Silas' brows came together. "Refusal to teach the first year is perfectly normal, bonds are too magically weak for the first several months," Silas scratched his chin. "But two years is long enough. Word spreads quickly in our world. Many will be wishing to test the boy, and most of his opponents won't be gentle, whether Jamie looks nine years old or not."

"But North said they won't be using magic _years_ from now."

"Clearly, he was wrong, then. Nicky's my second bond. I've more experience in this field than North does." Silas rubbed the growing bald spot on his head.

"Let's say there is no danger, that the world is a carefree and happy place," Silas continued. "Jamie will still have to develop his abilities. The magic will eventually build up inside him. And with no means or practice on releasing that pent up energy, it'll be like he's on a sugar high every minute of every day. It will drive him mad." Silas stood up and their eyes locked. "You bonded with him, but you cannot baby him. Start taking responsibility."

The wind hissed at the conversation, swirling and rushing around the dead silence. Jack's mouth pressed in a fine line. How dare he! How dare this man come into Jack's domain and tell him he wasn't doing his duties. Who was he to tell him how to take care of his kid? The winter spirit knew the effects of Jamie's magic, and it wasn't a positive viewpoint so far.

Jack spread winter everywhere he went, participated in snowball fights and sled races even when no one could hear or see him. Wherever he went - be it with Jamie, the other Guardians or with other kids - he was bringing joy and fun, as well as security. Jack waited patiently, but ready, for any danger that threatened the children of the world. The Moon chose Jack to be a Guardian. Was he not doing his job correctly?

Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes before jumping to the ground. He pointed his staff deliberately in Silas' direction.

"I can protect him." Jack repeated.

* * *

Nicky chuckled. "It's like you've never rock climbed in your entire life."

Jamie released a puff of air as he clawed desperately to the top ledge. He gathered a retort, but it immediately lost its way under his heavy breathing. Sure Jamie had gone rock climbing before. However, that was at Burgess' local recreational center.

Climbing an actual cliff was virtually the same. Except the two boys weren't using pulleys and harnesses, not to mention there weren't any thick gymnastic mats to break their falls. Also, the cliff wasn't man-made and was crumbling bit by aged bit, which meant that every solid-looking hand or foothold was just as unsteady as the previous step.

Okay, climbing a cliff and an artificial rock wall was _slightly_ different from each other. Any other day, Jamie would've jumped at this kind of adventure, to have complete freedom to see a mountainside and just _climb_ it. However, he imagined that Jack would be there, watching out for him and having fun along the way.

When Jamie finally scrambled onto the ledge, he plopped onto his back, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. When Nicky used the toe of his worn leather shoe to tap his friend's elbow, Jamie eventually sat up and opened his eyes.

The city of Burgess, small and dimly lit in its evening glory, could be seen in the distance. The little town, for miles upon miles, was surrounded with a thick layer of browning tree leaves capped with a thin sheet of white. Jamie smiled fondly. The weatherman said the snow was supposed to start _next_ week.

"You're lucky," Nicky whispered clearly, sitting next to Jamie. He pointed to the town. "Every time you see Burgess, you automatically think _'home'_."

Jamie was about to question that before realization hit him. As a full-blown autumn spirit, travelling with his season was a must. Settling down anywhere for too long meant that he would end up intruding on the other seasons. Even if Jack didn't mind their presence, spring and summer surely would.

"But you have Silas."

Nicky repeated that name. "He's like the father I never had, you know."

"You didn't have a father either?"

"I didn't even have a mom," Nicky chuckled humorlessly. Then his eleven-year-old voice changed, speaking as if he were just as old and wise as his mentor. "But in my pick-pocketing days, I tried to steal some loose cash. I just needed a few bucks for a slice of pizza. I stuck a hand through a trench coat and as soon as he caught my wrist, I thought for sure he was going to call the cops on me, or deal with me himself.

"Instead, Silas let go, handed me an apple, and the next thing I knew we were travelling together." Nicky shook his head, trying to get back to reality. And when he did, his eyes fell upon Jamie's sympathetic smile. "During that part of the century, orphans were treated like paper that littered the ground, always being passed by, never given a second glance.

"And Silas, an extremely powerful and dangerous, magical force of nature could've easily done away with me, but he took me in, raised me. He even gave me my last name, 'Haust'."

"Doesn't that mean 'autumn' in Icelandic?"

"You read just as much as I try to," Nicky chuckled. "I like being bonded with him, but Silas is obsessed with training me. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome learning magic, but he doesn't give me much time to play. And the only time I ever went to any kind of library was the time we had to sleep in an abandoned preschool. Sometimes I wish Silas didn't make me immortal."

Jamie blinked and scratched the shell of his ear, trying to figure out what he just heard. "He _made_ you immortal?!"

"Yeah," Nicky shrugged as if that kind of thing happened as frequently as the wind blew. "All spirits can make their bonds immortal."

"How?!" Jamie jumped to his feet.

Nicky held up a finger and his eyes widened, deep in thought. For a moment, he was stock-still, barely registering Jamie as the child snapped his fingers in front of his unwavering gaze. Then, Nicky shook his head and said, "We should get going. Silas wants us to meet them there early." He back up and shinnied to a lower ledge.

"How do you know?" Jamie asked, looking down to his friend. However, this only made him feel dizzy. Just below Nicky's feet was a sheer, monstrous drop that led straight to the ground that was slowly being covered by the falling snow.

"Silas told me so," Nicky let a hand from the ledge to tap his forehead. "Telepathy."

Jamie groaned. _How lame could you get?_ Jamie asked himself. Not only was he unable to correctly do magic, but he hadn't even started telepathy. And that was supposed to be just as textbook as being able to share emotions. Nevertheless, Jamie swallowed hard, turned around, and started finding the rocks and edges that would slowly let him climb back down to precious Earth.

Going down, Jamie grasped, was easier than going up. As opposed to just using the scrawny brunt of his arms and legs, gravity was now on his side, allowing relief to flood his muscles as he slowly climbed down. He smiled, wishing he had enough courage to let a hand go and pat himself on the back. One hand and foot after the other, his every thought was centered on the incentive of finally touching ground.

He placed a foot here, another foot there; he set a hand on a crevice, placed another on a rock. His left foot rested on a wide edge and the other knee managed catch onto a lower stone, letting him slip down to small patch of rocks to cling onto. Each rock was set in the cliff, planted firmly in place. The growing ice made the trip a bit difficult, but it was only a small setback. Well, Jamie thought of it as a setback at that second.

Feeling rather confident, Jamie put two hands on a set of rocks and made to perch his feet on a lower, wide crevice. He gasped sharply as his feet slipped on ice that caked the edges of the crag, forcing one foot to slide and jam into a sharp corner. With determination and a forceful yank, Jamie managed to free his foot. He found a space that wasn't invaded by ice and he shakily planted his feet there.

"Alright," Jamie cheered quietly to himself. Jack would be having a heart attack by now. For Jamie, the mere thought that he could somehow take care of himself in a situation like this fueled his resolve.

With an even stronger sense of confidence, Jamie made to move, but it wasn't his hands or feet that went. The rocks Jamie's hands were holding onto shifted, cracks appearing, growing at their bases. With a sickening vibration and crunch, the color drained from the kid's face.

_Crick-cack!_ The main ledge Jamie was clinging to lurched and jerked downwards, showering the trembling boy with dirt and gravel.

"You okay up there, Jamie?" Nicky called and Jamie didn't have to look down to know that his friend was already at the bottom, waiting patiently.

In fact, Jamie didn't want to look down at all. No pun intended, but he was frozen to the spot.

"I think," Jamie squeaked, and he highly doubted his small voice carried all the way to his friend. "I'm stuck."

"Just ask the wind to make you fly!"

"But I-"

"That ledge isn't going to hold. Don't climb down," Nicky explained. "Just fly."

"I don't know _how_ to fly!" Jamie hollered at the top of his lungs. As much as Jamie wished everything had gone silent from his yelling, it didn't. The cliff groaned and shook at his desperate words, and the ledge shifted again. With a terrifying pitch, the ledge wrenched and shook him until he couldn't hold on any longer.

The fall was over in seconds. As Jamie plummeted, his hands and feet flailed in front of him until he was practically skidding down the mountainside. The friction caused his palms to heat up until he couldn't feel the jagged rocks and stones that jabbed at his skin. Jamie thought he would be falling rest of his life until his back slammed against the cold, harsh ground.

At the sound of the thud, the air swiftly raced from the little boy's lungs, unable to catch his breath for many agonizing seconds. Until he realized he was alive.

He. Was. _Alive_! Jamie felt like a cell phone on constant vibrate as he gleefully staggered to his feet. For a nine year old who just scaled down the deadly drop of a mountain, he was on top of the world!

"Jamie," his friend gasped. "Oh, man. Are you alright?"

_What're you talking about?!_ Jamie tried to say, but was too hopped up on adrenaline. _That was _awesome_!_ He looked at Nicky, expecting a grin of relief to spread across his friend's face. His expression wasn't happy, but horrific.

Jamie followed his gaze and gasped, energy and giddiness sucking away into oblivion. Jamie vehemently shoved his hands into his pockets.

No way was Jack going to like this.

* * *

_I'm dead, I'm dead._ Jamie repeated the mantra as Jack carried him in the night air.

After reuniting with Silas and Jack, they exchanged their goodbyes and promptly took off into the woods. Unfortunately, Nicky wouldn't be showing up for school the next day. Though they all became fast friends, their instincts dictated each other. The autumn spirits could've stuck around, but Jack and Silas agreed that would open up a seasonal, territorial dispute. Spiritually, Burgess belonged to the winter spirit, not the autumn spirits. And the conversation was left at that.

The wind rushed soothingly against them, and Jamie rested his chin on the Guardian's shoulder with a silent pout. He wished Nicky didn't have to leave. Other than his sister, who was normally with Bunny most of the day, he finally had someone to connect to on the subject of bonding, someone who understood the process. However, Nicky and Silas had quickly fled from sight and he only hoped they would come back next year.

When Jamie opened his eyes, Jack's bare feet had landed silently on the bedroom floor. Unwrapping a single arm from Jack, Jamie quickly stuffed it back in his pocket, flinching as he accidentally fisted his fingers. Jack wasn't even looking at Jamie before his cold form suddenly stilled for a moment. He grabbed Jamie under his arms and placed him on the edge of his bed.

Jack crouched in front of the kid, concern etched in his features. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Jamie yawned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Jack furrowed his brows and he looked into his chocolate eyes, as if he was trying to search through his charge's sole. He was about to question further when he noticed Jamie's pockets, how his hands seemed to take root into the material. Jack raised an eyebrow as he gently took hold of Jamie's wrists. The little kid looked away as if he was just caught sifting through the cookie jar before dinner, and waited.

_I'm dead, I'm dead. I'm so dead that I'm going to die. I'm dead._

Jack turned the boy's hands to see his palms, and gasped. Jamie, expecting the mass of reprimands, still didn't look at him. At once, the cold touch of Jack's fingers vanished, leaving Jamie completely alone in his room with just a smooth draft from the window and bedroom door to keep him company.

He wasn't lonely for too long, however, for Jack returned. The spirit flicked on the bedroom light with his free fingers and emptied the contents from his other hand onto the bed beside the kid. Jack hastily resumed his kneeled position, once again inspecting the boy's skin.

Jamie's palms and fingertips were covered in dried blood and were completely cut to ribbons. Jamie couldn't tell whether he was imagining the tension or not, but the air felt thick and uneasy as Jack took the bottle of peroxide. The Guardian winced as his bond whimpered from the stinging of the liquid, but continued by making it as quick and painless as possible.

Though Jamie was now lstaring into Jack's eyes, he wasn't looking back. In fact, Jack remained emotionless, making Jamie's heart sink to his stomach. He knew the Guardian would be mad at him, but he didn't anticipate a total silent treatment.

He waited expectantly for the questions. Jamie could say that he fell onto a thorn bush, which wasn't a total lie. He did accidentally get himself caught in a small thicket of thorns before returning to Jack.

"I highly doubt a thorn bush did this much damage?" Jack's hardened voice shook his thoughts. Jamie flinched, but relaxed. The winter spirit's touch and eyes were as tender as always as he wrapped the gauze around the marred skin. "Should I even ask what happened?"

Jamie tried to think of a valid response, but was smothered by a wide yawn. Jack let out one of his signature laughs as he applied medical tape to keep the bandages from unwrapping. The spirit sat on the bed and gathered the child in his arms, sighing with the contenting fact that Jamie was okay. Although, he did make a mental note to check the bandages later in case of infection.

_The bandages._ Jack berated himself. He should've let Jamie walk through the front door of his house instead of taking the window. That way his mom would've seen his hands and fuss over the little boy herself. And as he looked down at the drowsy bundle in his arms, he felt as though he was taking away her job.

Suddenly, Jamie's head nuzzled against his blue hoodie. "We were rock climbing."

Jack chuckled nervously. "You didn't have to tell me that, you know."

Jamie shrugged. "You would've found out sooner a later."

"Not really," Jack frowned in slight disgust. "I had absolutely no idea what you and Nicky were doing today. While I talked with Silas, I kept trying to hone in on your emotions, but all I got was one big blank. I think Silas may have been blocking my link to you. He was the one who told me about the wolves that were hunting you, you know?"

Jamie nodded, recalling how Jack had said that a spirit of autumn told him of the wolves that attacked him.

"I don't know how he did it, but I couldn't feel your emotions at all."

"Why would Silas block our connection?"

Jack shook his head.

The child yawned again as a thought struck him. "When are you going to start teaching me magic?"

The Guardian huffed. "First you then Silas, then you again," he chuckled. "I will start teaching you, soon. Just be patient, okay?"

"Can you at least teach me how to fly?"

At once, Jack received a glare as he repeated his last statement. The spirit ignored this and grabbed a corner of the blankets to bring around Jamie.

"Goodnight, bro," Jamie whispered. Then, his eyes fluttered back open at the other's voice and he said, "Love you, too."

Jack stopped breathing. He didn't tell him that, he..._thought_ it. With mouth agape, he was about to turn Jamie around, but not a minute later, Jamie fell into a deep exhausted sleep.

Snow quietly pelted against the pane of the windows. Jack sighed and rested his chin on top of the child's head. There was only one reason why Silas would want to block their connection.

Whatever had happened today, whatever put Jamie in danger, Jack couldn't feel it. Which added to Silas' point. Jack quickly gathered – well, somewhat always knew – that there would be a time where he couldn't go off their connection to gauge Jamie's safety. At some point, Jamie would have to learn how to defend himself, especially if Jack wasn't able to get there in time. He _couldn't_ always be there to protect him. And he knew couldn't put this off any longer.


	19. Room of Memories

_* The author,** 'Nathalorial'** made a great ROTG story called **"Jack's Present".** It was beacuse of that short story that I had the inspiration to write out this one-shot. Don't worry, I received the author's permission to post this (We also have different plot lines, so I'm not copying or stealing). Again, if you guys have any problems with anything I post, please let me know. I don't wish to anger anyone._

_I referenced the movies "The Polar Express", "Monster House", and "How To Train Your Dragon". **I don't own "The Polar Express", "How To Train Your Dragon", and/or "Monster House".**_

_Two previous chapters of this story (Chapters 8 & 10) were also referenced._

**Requested by:**_ lightning lynx_

Room of Memories

Jack shut the door behind them, effectively blocking out the noisy twittering of the little fairies. They weren't being annoying, but the trio would need to be able to focus; Jamie was expected home within the hour. Tooth struck a match and lit several wall lamps, lighting the span of space. The small room was filled to the brim with toys, knickknacks, clothes, objects of all sorts stored accordingly in piles throughout the room.

"This is where it would be," Tooth said. "I'm sorry to say it's not our best organizing system, but we're working out the kinks."

Jamie ran his fingers over a cracked black-and-white portrait of a married couple. "What is all the stuff doing here," he asked.

"While my fairies are making their rounds," Tooth explained as Jack floated on top of a pile of books belonging to a variety of time periods. "They often come across objects that are forgotten or lost. Sometimes they find these items in the streets as they zip by, sometimes the objects end up in a kid's trash bin. Whether or not these things were discarded on purpose, they were of value at some point, so we bring them here."

She let her gaze slip. "They may not be used much," Tooth continued softly. "But at least they're not in a landfill, forgotten." She placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder as the two stared fondly at a moth-eaten ragdoll. "The thrill of losing a tooth and the comfort of hugging a stuffed animal is what keeps me and my fairies going. It's our obligation."

"Obligation?" Jamie looked at her.

Tooth nodded. "These objects aren't baby teeth, but the memories they hold are just as important. And that's our job, to preserve those memories."

Tooth and Jamie smiled warmly at each other, until a loud crash of a brass candleholder resonated, interrupting the moment. They both snapped their gazes to a guilty-looking Jack who was trying to somehow fit the holder back on its ripped and cracked wall mount. When he noticed that all eyes were on him he smiled sheepishly.

"Um," he muttered, tossing the holder away into a far corner as if no one saw him do that. "I don't think it's supposed do that." Tooth sighed at this while Jamie just laughed. "So," Jack decided, clapping his hands together. "Are we going to start looking for it or would you rather look for your missing socks instead?" He jabbed a finger at the mountain of clothing on the far side of the room.

"So that's where all my left socks go," Jamie commented.

"That's how this collection first started," Tooth said, gliding towards the door. "Vikings just didn't know how to keep track of their stuff," she muttered to herself. "I'd like to stay and help," Tooth continued. "But Baby Tooth probably wants to be relieved of her duties. If you two have any questions, flag down any of my fairies." The boys nodded to her as the door closed again, leaving them alone.

"Okay," Jack said, sifting through a mass of stuffed animals. "Let's find him, and get you home."

"It's, um…"

Jack looked at Jamie who was digging through a pile of old-fashioned toys. "What?

Jamie pursed his lips. "My stuffed rabbit," the little boy explained. "is a she." Jack flashed a crooked grin and a comical laugh. A light flush rose to the child's cheeks. "I was five, okay."

"I know," Jack nodded as he flew over the boy's head to inspect a countertop filled to the brim with even more stuffed animals. "I was there when you got her on your fifth birthday."

"Really?" Jamie's eyes widened. He would never have guessed that Jack had been a part of his life for that long. And he was about to question him further until his ankle hooked around a tangle of strings, forcing him to trip and fall onto the pile of clothes he was standing on.

"Smooth," Jack commented.

Jamie stuck out his tongue and reached for his feet, trying to detach himself from the mess. Only it wasn't a lot, just two strips of leather, and when the boy finally freed himself he got to his knees and started digging into the clothes. And when he finally found the clothing attached to the leather, he laid it in front of him, curiosity flashing over his features and making him forget about his beloved rabbit.

"Hey," Jack exclaimed before kicking off the ground and landing on a pile of classroom knickknacks, right next to Jamie's mountain of clothes. He held out the ratty, but soft, stuffed bunny in front of him, very reminiscent of when the child saw Jack for the first time. "Found it. I mean, her."

Before Jamie could respond, the winter spirit was already kneeling in front of him, a swift gust of breeze following as if Jack was faster than wind itself. The spirit released a breathy laugh, slowly running a finger over the leather shawl. Jamie looked at his Guardian, ready to ask him where he found the rabbit, but his words caught in his throat.

Jack's snowy bangs fell in front of his eyes as he looked down at the material, as if trying to wave him out of his current stupor. Even when his gaze drifted away from the cloak, he appeared distant. Jamie snapped his fingers in front of cerulean orbs, but got no response; Jack's eyes were glazed in whatever memory his was submerged in. When his pale hands fisted the cloak, he blinked slowly, looked directly at Jamie, and opened his mouth.

"Where did you get this?" His voice dropped to an unusually soft whisper.

Before Jamie could respond, Jack abruptly stood, clutching the tanned cloak to his chest as if it were his lifeline.

"I _saw_ her!" Jamie jumped from the volume and energy in Jack's voice. "Sh-she was…!" A wide grin revealed all his pearly teeth and his laughter bounced around the room, as if the echo was laughing with him. "She-" he tried to say.

A grin splayed across Jamie's features. He knew that smile. "You saw your sister?!"

Jack's gulp was quickly smothered by another hearty chuckle.

"We were…," he breathed. He flung his cloak out in front of him for a better look, wrists cricking at the sudden gesture. "It was springtime," he said, a gentle smile slowly lacing upon his exuberant face as he calmed down. "We were looking for Easter eggs." His fingers slid to the inside of the leather, dipping into a hidden pocket. He pulled his hand away as if disappointed. "She would sometimes find eggs and then hide a few in the pockets of my cloak." He paused. "This cloak," Jack enunciated. An intricate band of ice weaved around the edges of the material, as if the frost even missed the familiar outfit.

"Easter," Jack repeated, dropping into his well-known crouch. "It was her favorite holiday." The smile on Jack's face suddenly vanished, eyes widening with dread. "And mine, too, apparently."

Jamie laughed, moving to sit next to the Guardian. "Don't let Bunnymund hear that."

Jack snickered and, even in the delerium of his lost memories, rubbed a hand into the child's hair. Jack's thoughts wandered in confusion, but he soon realized he didn't need baby teeth to get any of his memories this time. The vision of him and his sister during Easter came straight from the cloak, right when he touched it. Jamie yelped when something snagged under his arms, bringing him against the hoodie-clad chest.

"I lost this," Jack explained quietly, eyes closed and heavily nudging his face against the little boy's temple. "a _long_ time ago. I was racing the wind and the knot that held it around my neck snapped. I tried going after it but when the clouds cleared, I found myself flying over a beach in North Carolina. I thought the ocean might've taken it away."

Whether it was from finding his cloak or reclaiming a lost piece of his memory, he hummed gratefully under his breath, crossing his legs in order to pull Jamie impossibly deeper into his hold. "Thank you," Jack whispered. "So much."

The child tried to shift in Jack's arms, but he felt the winter spirit trying to tighten his grip. Maybe Jack was keeping him rooted there for fear of the child disappearing, fading away like _he_ did for three-hundred years. Jamie tilted his head at this thought before nuzzling against the Guardian's hoodie.

They stayed like that for another moment before Jack relaxed and released his hold around the boy, but Jamie stayed in his lap and watched as Jack inspected his old cloak. As Jack's eyes wandered over every stitch, every crease, he couldn't help but remember that summer in Burgess was currently in full swing.

"Hey, kiddo," Jack asked, picking up the child to have him stand in front of him. "You interested in an early birthday present?"

Jamie grinned from ear to ear. "You bet!"

Jack chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm, fingers idly skimming the cloak. "It may not be flashy and it may not be a glass snowflake," Jack shrugged with a knowing grin, presenting the cloak in front of Jamie's small chest. "But I still owe you a present from your fifth birthday, the day I first met you."

Jamie's mouth dropped and he brought up his little hands, but soon recoiled. "I don't want to lose it."

"You won't," Jack said firmly. "I should expect my apprentice to be practicing in this. Let's say…" He flexed his jaw for dramatic effect. "Tomorrow?"

"You're going to teach me magic!" Jamie was nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Only if you promise to take good care of this." They looked at the cloak which was now covered in a thin layer of emotionally uncontrolled frost.

Assuredly, Jamie nodded, and this made Jack smile with a certain pride.

The Guardian swung the cloak over the kid – his heart skipped at the familiar clapping and flicking of the leather in the air – and tied the drawstrings securely, but comfortably, around the child's chest.

_* North Carolina, the state where I said Jack lost his cloak, is where the headquarters of "Champion Sportswear" is. "Champion Sportswear" claimed to have made the very first, modern-day hoodie. I thought it was interesting, and ironic to the plot of this chapter. **(I don't own "Champion Sportswear".)**_


	20. Easter Sunday

_* By the way, I reposted/rewrote my chapter story "Reapers Realm". It is a semi-sequel to these one-shots. It will involve Jamie using his powers, it will involve the bond between Jack and Jamie, and Bunny and Sophie. Fair winning, it'll be slightly darker than these one-shots._

**Requested by:** _quite a few of you, actually._

Easter Sunday

Jamie put the heel of his palms against his forehead in pure exasperation.

As much as he wanted to throw in a little jesting, the feel of the child's irritation irked Jack just the same. Not only was it his instincts to console his bond, but his center, as a Guardian, didn't allow for anything but joy and – of course – fun.

Jack bent down, plucking a thin stone from the dark green grass next to the egg-dying stream. "You kind of have to flick your wrist," the winter spirit said. For emphasis, he made a quick snapping motion with his hand, sending the rock several skips up the brook. Jack handed the kid another stone.

Reluctantly, Jamie took it. Drawing back his arm, the little boy copied his friend's motion. It flew over the grass directly to the streams, and as it made a smooth path to skim across the water, the stone tumbled in the air and produced a deep _kerplunk_ in the water. Jamie sighed, scrunching his nose. The child aggravatingly flicked something from his eyebrows.

It was Easter Sunday and the craziness of yesterday's preparation had finally died down. A few, unpainted, stray eggs teetered here and there, Sophie's ever happy squeals could be heard around the bend, and the rivers were washing the last of its dyes downstream. But most importantly, with the coming of spring weather, the Warren had become warmer. At least it felt that way to Jamie. Though his body seemed to refuse to age, his powers were becoming prominent more and more with each day. In fact, that very Easter it hit him like a ton of bricks.

Jack and Bunny both conceded to no snow on Easter. He could make it snow before and after, but not _during_, not ever again. Bunny wanted his holiday to be lush and warm, not freezing cold and snowy. Jamie and his friends hardly minded this and continued with their egg hunt, Jack Frost padding along with them. The temperature slowly rose, making Jack decrease his core temperature; it was no biggie, for him.

However, halfway into the hunt a voice prodded at the back of his mind. Jamie's thoughts. Bringing forward a dramatic gust of air, Jack nimbly landed next to the little boy who was slouched over, sweat pouring from his unusually paled face. In a fit of protective panic, the spirit scooped up the lethargic boy and commanded a snow globe to take them to North's, leaving a gaggle of confused friends behind.

Jamie tried to throw a stone again, but no dice. Jack knelt next to him and smoothly wiped his hand across the little kid's forehead, covering his palm with a layer of sweat. Even with the looming shade of a tree, Jack didn't like it. With the warmth of the Warren, and his ebbing patience with the stone, Jamie couldn't get a hold of his usual, chipper optimism. The mix of unnatural emotions radiating from the kid smothered Jack, berating him for not doing his job right.

"Hey," Jack got the kid's attention. The winter spirit took a rock he'd stored in his pocket and clenched it in his fist. After a moment, he tossed the rock, which Jamie clumsily caught. Smiling thinly, Jamie studied the detailed frost patterns that covered the stone. "Try this again," Jack coaxed.

Jamie nodded, more enthusiastic now, and pressed a littler rock into his small fist. This was one of Jack's first lessons in magic. It wasn't anything flashy or extravagant, but this simple practice left Jamie completely breathless at first, even bringing him out of consciousness the first few rounds.

Jamie closed his eyes, breathing and focusing. He could feel an icy chill sliding around in his veins. He sighed, the cold was welcomed. Jamie pushed his element further, brushing away all thoughts and emotion until all he could feel was a very light, almost joyful thump in his chest. Just like Jack had taught him. _Breathing, focusing, breathing, and_-

A blinding light flashed between Jamie's fingertips, the force of the magic making him drop the stone and fall on his backside. Trying to reclaim air that rushed from his lungs, Jamie watched as his Guardian picked up the rock and held it for both of them to see. A grin morphed onto Jamie's face, giggling at the sight of the iced stone. Jamie was never able to completely wrap it in frost, but as Jack turned the stone repeatedly, he saw that all sides were covered.

With a new surge of confidence, Jamie stood, brushed grass and dirt from his cloak, and took the stone from Jack's fingers. He stood by the bank, positioned his hand, and flicked his wrist. His heart immediately dropped, along with the rock that instantly sunk to the bottom of the river.

Jack was about to muster words of encouragement until Jamie cut in. _"I'm never going to get it right,"_ Jamie's thoughts rattled uncomfortably in Jack's head, making him wince.

Jack looked between the river and Jamie's downcast gaze, trying to think of something. Jamie was flicking his hand correctly. Maybe he just wasn't getting the right amount of speed behind it, or perhaps he was picking the wrong stones. Maybe if…A wide smile crossed Jack's features.

"Hmm," Jack mused, twirling his staff and inspecting the water as he walked toward the kid. "That was good I guess," he shrugged. "But I can do better."

"Huh?"

"The thing is," Jack said studiously. "Your stone was just a _bit_ too big. Smaller stone equals bigger splash." Jack took another rock from his pocket and chucked it into the stream, a tall plume of water spouting briefly above the surface. "Just like that," Jack wiped his hands, readying a second, bigger rock.

"Jack," Jamie shook his head. "What're you-"

"But if you were aiming for a _louder_ splash rather than just a _big_ splash, then you may want a bigger stone." Jack threw a rock about the size of his fist and tossed into the water. It produced a noisy gulp of water when it hit the surface

He handed a rock to Jamie. "I thought we were having a splashing contest," Jack explained with a large grin. "I hear skipping contests are just_ so_ overrated these days." Jack winked.

Jamie's confusion disappeared as his usual wide smile came to life. He snatched the rock and flicked it straight up to land back in his palm.

_"I bet I'll beat you,"_ Jamie grinned, his unspoken words now a gentle hum in Jack's head.

_"Oh, really,"_ Jack teased, playfully nudging the younger kid's shoulder. _"I'd like to see you try."_

_* Even with the chapter story I'm writing (both "Reapers Realm" and an original work) I'll still be continuing these one-shots. Any requests that you guys have I will happily take._


	21. Flight and Stealth

_* I referenced the graphic novel "Flight". **I don't own "Flight".** I also referenced the movie "Peter Pan". **I don't own "Peter Pan".**_

_Some one asked me how these stories and "Reapers Realm" coincide. To sum it up, they will mesh together **as well** as be completely irrelevant from each other. Bond and plot-wise, there is a link between the stories. However, it's a very thin link to where you can almost consider "Reapers Realm" a stand-alone story. As confusing as that is I really can't say more without giving plot away._

**Requested by:** _quite a few of you, and UrbanBookAlien and DoomCabbit_

Flight

Wind swirled unsteadily under his feet, whipping the leather of the cloak until it almost smacked him in the face. He concentrated, breathing steadily, but he jolted and anxiety rushed through his body. Instantly, the breeze slapped his heels making him soar straight up until he could almost touch the tips of the cliffs and trees. Within that second, Jamie's bravery – or extreme sense of vertigo – made him look down, and he smiled shakily.

With Jamie's developing magic, came the 'when and where'. They couldn't simply practice in the boy's room; what if the mother walked in? They could carry on at Jack's pond, but the heat of spring and summer made Jamie lag. Also, more and more hunters and fishermen were traversing the area. Moreover, the other seasons were becoming irritated by Jack's frequent presence. Even Jamie was becoming a problem. The seasons, excluding autumn, initially didn't mind the child's budding powers, but still without much control Jamie would accidentally freeze the plant life. He even brought in an angry cold front when Sophie accidentally tripped and broke his science project. Ironically, the project was a scale model of how spring and summer coincide with their clashing climates.

Running out of options, Bunnymund, thanks to Sophie and Jamie's large pleading eyes, _begrudgingly_ allowed Jack and his bond to practice in the Warren so long as it didn't interfere with the order of his home. Thankfully for Jamie, the Warren wasn't as warm during this time of year. Sophie, excited and restless to see winter powers at work, was gently nudged away by Bunny, lest the little girl accidentally get herself turned into a miniature iceberg.

The wind held his feet and back as Jamie stared wondrously down at the Warren as well as the light frost that coated tree branches as he went upward. Every kid dreamed of flying, of soaring high over mountains, cities and clouds, to have the freedom of controlling your own flight. And Jamie was doing it! Never in his wildest daydreams did he ever think…He tilted his back and threw a whooping laugh to the sky. He only looked down when he felt a shudder in his legs, like he was standing in the sun for too long and his knees were about to give way.

Just like that, the wind stilled, no longer holding him, and allowed him to drop. He didn't get the chance to cry out as Jack sprang from the bough of a nearby tree to catch Jamie's waist and land nimbly to the ground on a stone pathway.

"You went too high," Jack explained simply as he placed Jamie on solid Earth.

Jamie rolled his eyes, trembling lightly with excess adrenaline. "By magic standards," he grinned, his little hand appearing from beneath the cloak to point. "or by your standards?"

Jack's chuckle still hinted with relief as he ruffled his kid's hair. "Both."

Stealth

Jack's cerulean orbs steadily searched every nook and cranny surrounding the small glade, grinning every now and then at the ever-so-slight snap of a twig.

"_So_," Jamie's voice prodded the back of the spirit's mind. "_Why couldn't the wind keep me up for too long_?"

Jack knelt to the ground inspecting the hollow of a moss-ridden log before sighing and standing again. "_It can keep someone in the air for hours_," he specified, glancing around for any other sign of life. "Y_ou not only have to build a connection with the wind, but it also responds to your emotions. Sometimes it gets _too_ wrapped up in what you're feeling_." Jack could feel Jamie's thoughts and emotions and could tell he was nearby. The question was 'where'. "_Don't worry_," he waved nonchalantly. "_I was dropped plenty of times before the wind and I got used to each other_."

Jack was about to stray from the dirt trail beneath his feet before a lone willow branch flicked against a passing breeze. Jack turned around to stare at the tree before shaking his head. "_You took your shoes off, didn't you_?" Jack grinned.

"You _don't have shoes on_," Jamie remarked.

Jack was about to retort when a sharp yelp of pain sounded over a small ridge. Eyes widening in alarm, Jack briskly floated over the crest and into the thicket where the voice had sounded. The winter spirit whipped his gaze around, but he was still completely alone.

"What happened," Jack demanded aloud. "Where are you?"

Jamie's grumble twinged at Jack's thoughts, pain still underlying in the child's emotions. "_I stepped on a thorn_."

Jack's shoulders sagged in relief. "_Put your shoes back on, all right. I don't want you getting hurt_."

"Or_ you're just having a hard time finding me, and you want me to make it easier for you_." Without the footwear, Jamie was relatively silent, aside from the clumsy twig snaps and stumbles here and there. Jamie's thoughts were reminiscent of his own: cunning, clever, sarcastic, but playful and lighthearted.

Jack smiled, slowly strolling down the slope of the hill with his staff twirling idly in hand. "_You're definitely making a lot less noise_," Jack smiled sagely through his thoughts. "_Distance-wise, I would never known you're there_." The winter spirit leapt up to a low hanging branch. Laying down, he closed his eyes as if ready for a good nap. "_Now_," Jack hummed, bending one leg and dangling the other to swing lazily with the breeze. "_Get closer to me. Try closing the gap."_

Jack could feel his ward's cleverness slip into concentration. Every now and then a patch of long grass would rustle, or a thin tree would flick as if someone was leaning on it, but Jack only snickered under his breath when those sounds came closer, and he wondered what the child was going to try.

Eyes still shut, his brows came together. He could feel that extra set of eyes closing in on him, but from where? Were they in front of him, behind? Somewhere off to the side? Jack pursed his lips. With centuries of practice, he could literally pinpoint the general area of his enemy even in his sleep. What made today different?

The wind came from behind and brushed against his pale ear. A knowing smirk started stretching across his face. Then, the breeze stilled and all was quiet, no noise could be heard. Jack's hair on the back of his neck stood. Any other day he would be on his feet, staff in hand, and crouched readily before the hidden enemy. Instead, he squared his shoulders, shook the hair from his face, and whistled a happy tune that he once heard flying over an island. He never knew how he managed to get lost over the ocean, but the only thing he remembered prior to that was flying towards the second star to the right of Polaris; the rest was a total blur.

Jack flexed his hands on his thighs and straightened up a little. Waiting. A very small, barely audible grunt sounded from behind. With the precision of a hunting feline, Jack whipped around, flicked his arms out and snagged the lunging kid by the waist.

"Hey!" Jamie's protest echoed as Jack locked him securely in his lap. "No fair," he grumbled, wriggling futilely in his Guardian's embrace. Jack only relaxed his hold to sit Jamie up, and then tighten his arms again. His frame shook with amused laughter as he laid back against the tree.

"Looks like the predator," Jack grinned, tapping the child's nose. "just became the prey. Hmm," he scrutinized the young boy, wagging an eyebrow. "Who knew my most recent adversary would be so...short?"

Jamie lightly elbowed his ribs. "I don't get it," he crossed his arms. "What did I do wrong?"

"Actually," Jack remarked, loosening his grip around the little kid. "You did everything right. So what if you made some noise every now and then? You still managed to stump me." Jamie raised an eyebrow. "I expected you to come at me from a single angle, but it felt like you were everywhere at once. How the heck did you do that?"

"Oh," Jamie shifted in his lap, but remained there. A clever smile curled his lips. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

Jack scoffed in exasperation. "The April Fool visited Burgess again, I see," he muttered. He smiled down at Jamie with begging curiosity. "Come on, give me a hint."

Jamie continued to smirk, but complied. The child started out with chucking rocks and sticks in different directions, throwing off Jack's sense of hearing and the boy's initial location. Wherever Jack _thought_ Jamie was, he truly wasn't there. And when Jamie said a thorn snagged him, that was actually a lure to get Jack where they were now. The area of trees they were currently in had the softest grass, making Jamie lighter in foot, virtually undetectable.

"All right," Jack mused, bringing his head to rest against the trunk to look distantly above Jamie's head. "It appears that I am teaching you too well, and it's time I brought you down a peg." Eliciting a gasp from the child, Jack wrapped an arm around Jamie's neck before running his knuckles into those brown locks.

"_Urgh_!" Jamie ground his teeth together, scrambling to get away. "Come _on_, Jack!"

"Trust me, kiddo," Jack matched Jamie's contorted grin. "When I'm done, no comb or brush will be able to help you."

* * *

After giving Jamie a few more pointers on stealth and tucking him into bed, Jack had to go back to the Warren one last time. He rubbed a fist over his eyes, knowing he was two nights overdo for a good sleep.

Nightfall had drifted over the Warren. The remaining little Easter eggs ducked away from Jack's feet, pattering swiftly to go to sleep under the towering stocks of flowers. Jack kicked off the ground to land in front of a group of ever-awake sentinel eggs. With a looming nod of their towering bodies they pointed Jack towards an egg-dying stream, and Jack skidded to a halt when he got there.

Sophie slept nearly every night in the Warren with Bunny, and the rabbit would have Jack's head if he accidentally woke up the ankle biter. However, Sophie sat upright next to the river, tossing and turning Jamie's shoes in her hands.

Jack announced his presence with a chuckle. "Shouldn't you be in bed, kiddo?"

Deep, green eyes stared tiredly at him. Giggling with a clap of the hands, Sophie delightedly hollered his name and ran forward, shoes in hand and dangling by the laces. She jumped forward exuberantly and wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, a single shoe flying from her grip in the process.

Almost in stereotypical slow motion, the shoe flew agonizingly through the air. When it stopped, it smacked Jack right in the chest with a light tap. This action wasn't a big deal, even after an exaggerated wave of water from inside the shoe splashed all over his face. It was Jamie who wasn't going to be happy with the soggy sneakers.

The familiar loud thumping of large feet had the little girl running away from Jack and into the Pooka's arms as he appeared from the bushes. "There you are," Bunnymund said gently, and Jack laughed at the coo in the gruff Guardian's voice. "Been looking for you for an hour." Sophie giggled through a yawn before settling into the cradle of Bunny's arms. "Got to tell you, frostbite," Bunnymund said without looking up. "She plays a good game of hide-and-seek. I can barely hear her walking around the Warren any…" His voice drifted as he settled his gaze on the winter spirit.

At Jack's confused expression, Bunnymund fisted a paw in front of his mouth, but he couldn't take it anymore. The rabbit threw his head back and, remembering the slumbering Sophie, let loose a silent laugh that spoke volumes. Jack leaned on his staff, chuckling at Bunny's oddly infectious laughter.

Calming down, the Pooka reached out a paw, snatched the sleeve of Jack's hoodie, and dragged him to the water's edge. The snickering instantly faded from the spirit's lips as he saw his reflection in the river. Absolute dread replaced Jack's grin as he stared at the shoe again. Only then did he notice the little puddle of brightly colored egg-dye sloshing around and staining the fabric inside the sneaker.

When Sophie sank into a deeper sleep, Bunnymund finally allowed himself to chuckle louder. "Oh, Frost," he hooted, pointing at Jack's cheeks, forehead, and the corner of his mouth. "I can honestly say pink isn't your color."

Bunnymund didn't like it when Sophie ran off too far or for too long, especially now that her controlled thoughts and emotions led Bunny astray in his searches for her. However, after seeing Jack's face covered in pink dye and completely mortified, the Pooka briefly overlooked Sophie's running off.

_* By the way, I wrote a story called "An Oath" and it's about the family friendship between Jack and Jamie. It is a one-shot and I would've added it to these stories, but decided against it. If you do decide to read it, I warn you it is dark and not as happy-go-lucky as these one-shots._


	22. Not Real

**Requested By:** _...I tried to find who requested it, but couldn't find it. I still hope it's up to snuff._

Not Real

"And just what the heck were you thinking," Jamie's mother berated with a stern wag of the finger. Jamie grumbled incoherently, dipping his head to stare guiltily at the oak surface of the table. "What on Earth compelled you to walk outside barefoot," she demanded, gesturing to the window. "And during a _blizzard_, too."

Jamie heard the wind howling from outside as he vaguely listened to his mother's parental rant. "It's not like I got frostbite or anything," he mumbled. The mom's brows furrowed.

When she had dragged Jamie in from the cold she hastily, but gently, tossed him onto the counter to inspect his frostbitten feet…only to find that they weren't frozen nor an angry blue. Fine and normal as they always were, if not a bit chilly. But then again, Jamie's skin always felt colder nowadays, even during spring and summer. And Jamie attempted to walk barefoot almost every day.

Although she was happy with how long his shoes were lasting without the usual wear and tear, Jamie would come home with the occasional cut or chafe, mostly on his toes or heels. This made her check his feet often for any form of infection. Miraculously, for as clumsy – and sometimes unlucky – as Jamie was, he was always void of infection. It was both fascinating, and infuriating.

The woman sighed and she rested her elbows on the table, burying her face in her hands. "Look, Jamie," she breathed, ducking up from behind her fingertips. "It's the dead of winter; you can't just walk around without shoes. I won't have your feet falling off."

Jamie leaned back, crossing his arms with a minor pout. "Jack Frost doesn't wear shoes."

"Jack Frost isn't real, sweetheart," the mom explained for the umpteenth time. "He's just an expression."

Jamie merely shook his head, brown and ever messy locks drifting in front of his eyes. The little boy pushed against the rim of the table to slide backward and jump out of the chair, bare feet creating a light pattering as he landed on the faded congoleum floor.

The mother quickly stood. "Jamie-"

"I know, I know," Jamie said a bit impatiently as he turned around to face the staircase. "I'm grounded, right?"

She sighed. It was the first year that she ever had to ground the kid. It's not that he was forgetting homework or hanging with the wrong crowd. In fact, he wasn't even spending enough time with his friends. Between home and school, Jamie was always outside and off doing something, alone she assumed. He would often come back a little later, and was always berated when he came home.

The issues quickly escalated, however. She would sometimes catch him sneaking out around the cliché hour of midnight, or even not showing up for school. But the real breaking point was Jamie's occasional skipping of class, as well as disappearing from the school grounds entirely. It was an elementary school, for Pete's sake! How hard is it to keep track of a generally model student?

The mother sighed inwardly. She assumed she wouldn't have these kinds of problems until he was a teenager. He was only ten years old! At least he still looked ten years old. With a groan, she slumped back into the dining chair and rested an elbow on the table, head leaning tiredly in hand.

Jamie stared back at his mom, pursing his lips irately, but with underlying desperation. He opened his mouth slowly.

"Just because you don't see something, doesn't mean it's not there."

The mother blinked, and by the time she fully glanced up her son was gone. The light thumping of sockless feet on the hallway above, and the creaking of a bedroom door was the only thing that broke the heavy silence upon their home.

* * *

It wasn't solid job, and just barely kept food on the table.

The mother sighed and rubbed the dark circles under her eyes as her free hand rested on half of the home keys. She typed with less enthusiasm with every passing day. A passion she once treasured was now overused and bothersome.

Taking a long swig of her mug and grimacing as the cold coffee sloshed in her mouth, she went back to the computer screen, typing out the two-bit article that was sure to come out bland, boring, and most likely unedited. Wiping sweat from her brow, she paused halfway through the article to open the window in front of her. She allowed the remaining, lessening winds of the blizzard to rush a biting chill over her face. With a small smile, she jokingly wondered if Jack Frost was going to let up on the snow days any time soon.

Before she could even chuckle, a dull thumping sounded from upstairs. By the tone of the feet, she could tell it was coming from Jamie's room. And by the brief squeaking of a mattress she knew that her son had just started settling in for the night…at two in the morning.

She ran a hand through her hair, knowing that somehow, someway, Jamie managed to sneak passed her coming to and from the outside world. She wouldn't be surprised if he somehow managed to climb out his window, which was all the way on the top floor. The mom almost went back to her typing if not for the slight, almost scolding tapping of a foot, yet again coming from Jamie's bedroom.

The woman's eyebrows knitted. Her son had just jumped into bed and Sophie was fast asleep in her own room. And she was almost certain that Jamie was incapable of sneaking a friend up to his room, but, then again, she also thought it was impossible for Jamie to ever sneak out of school. Therefore, there's a first time for everything.

Suspicion in mind, and maybe a dash of anger, she walked away from her desk and made way for upstairs. She shuddered at the sudden draft that weaved through the old house, creaky boards and a long, frayed yard-sale carpet cushioning her footsteps. Slowing, but not breaking the stride, she reached and pushed Jamie's door aside. The unusually comforting ambiance of a nightlight-filled corner and a wide-open window met her gaze.

The mother shot an expectant look to her son that swiftly twisted into downright confusion. Her son laid on his bed with arms resting casually behind his head in a carefree manner. However, what really caught her attention were the bandages wrapped around the child's feet.

Jamie, one hand tossing and turning the glass snowflake he had received during his fifth birthday, watched calmly as his mother walked to the foot of the bed. "What happened," she asked when she pointed to his feet, more puzzled than mad.

Jamie shrugged. "I stepped on some glass."

"Glass?" The mom gasped.

"Don't worry," he said with his standard innocent smile. "This isn't the first time it's happened."

The heels of her hands found her hips. "That's supposed to make me feel better about this?" She exclaimed, snatching his left foot to remove the bandage. Jamie abruptly sat up to catch her hands. "Jamie, you stepped on glass, you may still have some in your foot!"

"It's okay," Jamie said hastily. "I promise it's all out. He wouldn't have wrapped them if there was still glass in them."

"He," she repeated with a blink.

Jamie tried hard not to grin as he placed the snowflake in front of his alarm clock. "Jack Frost."

The mother's eyes fluttered as her mouth pressed in a thin line. This 'Jack Frost' nonsense got on her nerves more than it should've. However, she also knew that Jamie was a smart kid; smart enough to know that fairy tales didn't exist. Why couldn't he see that?

Her thoughts broke as her eyes travelled over the bandages. The mom had to admit that even though Jamie was intelligent for his age his clumsy side didn't allow much room for first-aid. Though, he probably contained a reasonable knowledge of the subject, executing it wasn't his strong suit. She briefly remembered how long it took for him to get the hang of band-aids. Jamie's mind was never really on such a task, always elsewhere.

Naturally, she thought it a bit odd to see his feet wrapped in such a way. Pearly white, clean-cut, and almost cartoonish, the bandages were bound expertly around the middle of his little feet. The mom couldn't even find the seam to unwrap them. They looked so perfect that their local doctor could be put to shame. On top of it all, his feet looked exceptionally clean, as if he hadn't gone outside at all. _If Jack Frost _did_ do this,_ she thought. _He didn't do a bad job - Oh, what am I saying?_

The mom fought the urge to slap herself. Jack Frost didn't exist, there's no such thing as 'old man winter', and nothing but science caused the blizzard.

Not Jack Frost. He's. Not. Real.

Trying to shake away the jumbled thoughts, the mom slowly stood and turned back to the door, too tired and bemused to do much else.

Jamie's jaw dropped. "You're not mad at me?"

The woman rubbed her temples through her short, chestnut bangs. "We'll discuss…this," she pointed to his feet. "in the morning. For now, bedtime, young man. You still have school in the morning." She grinned a faint, motherly smile at him before closing the door with a click. "If there isn't a snow day tomorrow," she added with a mumble. Hunching her shoulders despondently, she trudged through the hall and down the stairs, reuniting with the dreaded unfinished article.

Had the mother turned the light on, she might've noticed the shimmering strands of energetic frost that coated the windowsill at the end of the hallway.


	23. Snowmen

* **Requested by:** _IWasBornaRainicorn and j99450_

Snowmen

"No fair, Jack," Jamie said with a scowl.

The snowman met Jack's height ideally and its overall appearance bordered on cartoonish. Three perfect spheres of snow made its body while two limestones for eyes and a carrot nose – from Bunny's Warren, of course – made its face.

Jamie glared at his own 'masterpiece'. His snowman stood a bit taller than he did, which held his downfall. The two spheres for the base of the snowman were decent. However, its head proved harder for him to reach, making it look extremely disfigured. To top it off, he hadn't had time to get any material for the face, its scarf had been blown away by the wind, and its stick-arms had fallen off and disappeared into the snow as more fell from the clouded sky.

Jack merely laughed, a breeze responding to him by picking up speed. The January wind wove through the clearing, gently stroking the boys' faces, and Jamie could hear Jack's pond lapping at the shore a couple feet around the hill.

"Three-hundred years of practice, kid," Jack grinned, looking between him and the snowmen, twirling his staff as he did so.

Jamie was about to grumble irately before something snaked into his peripheral vision. The child's gaze flickered to watch as strands of fern-like frost curled around Jack's snowman, even going so far as to crystallize over the carrot.

Jamie produced a crooked grin, too similar to Jack's. "Don't you mean 'three-hundred years of using your powers'?"

Jack scoffed, swinging his staff to rest it on his shoulders. "What's the difference?"

Jamie's impish smile widened as he crossed his arms. "I bet you couldn't make a snowman without using your powers."

The winter spirit chuckled; Jamie could hear the underlying nervousness. "'Course I could!"

Jamie dropped to his knees and started bundling fresh snow together. "Prove it, then."

"Whatever you say, kiddo," Jack rolled his eyes. He propped his staff against a barren tree – bark more than likely bitten off by passing deer – before sprinting next to Jamie and crouching down to collect some snow.

By the time the kid got two large snowballs finished, Jack's grumbling halted the making of his third one. His chocolate eyes fell upon the disgruntled Guardian who sat back on his heels and still trying to make the first snowball. Jamie stifled a sympathetic chuckle, afraid that Jack might misread his humor. Although, even if they weren't bonded, he imagined that Jack could probably read him like an open book by now.

"Here," Jamie said, throwing his current snowball to the side to make a new one. The child shoved his fingerless-gloved hands under the snow, cupping them until he gathered enough in his palms before bringing it to the surface. The kid made an almost perfect snowball before placing it in front of Jack's face.

Jack shook his head and took it. "I can make small-scale stuff without my powers," he clarified as he gathered a handful of snow to combine it with the snowball, only to have it crumble and break like a geode. He scratched the back of his neck, grinning with sheepish embarrassment. "But larger-scale…"

Jamie nodded and brushed his hands against the front of his leather cloak. For the remainder of the afternoon, Jamie explained how to make a decent setup for a snowman, using techniques his father once taught him. As the kid enlightened Jack, the spirit's smile grew along with Jamie's. He could see how elated the kid was, being able to teach Jack Frost, creator of snow, blizzards, and ice, how to make a snowman. Jamie was finally able to teach Jack something related to the spirit's own craft.

Diving into the early evening, Jack brushed freezing sweat from his forehead, relieved that he was going to be able to bring Jamie home on time. After Jamie had cut his feet on glass several weeks ago, his mother not only kept a steadier eye on him, but was also growing more and more suspicious, especially after seeing the bandages on Jamie's feet. Other spirits wouldn't have interfered, as most liked to be left alone. However, Jack didn't mind. So long as the mother didn't crack – as one would say – then he would continue his meddling and keeping an eye on Jamie.

Who knows? Someday his interference might add another believer to his list.

Jack took a step back to admire his handiwork. "Hey, Jamie," he called out of the corner of his mouth. "Did I win," he asked, looking back at his friend. Jack had to admit that Jamie's current snowman was almost perfect, if not slightly disproportional.

Jamie peeked out from behind his snowman and, for a moment, didn't say anything as he stared at the spot next to Jack. He chewed his lower lip to suppress a laugh, his sock-covered feet shuffling in the snow. Though he broke his promise to his mother about wearing boots rather than going barefoot, he slightly humored her by just wearing socks.

"Um," Jamie said, tilting his head to scrutinize. "If you were going for a 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' look, then you certainly nailed it."

Jack blinked and looked at his lopsided snowman. "What?"

"Also," Jamie added. "It looks like it kind of has whiplash." Jamie grinned as Jack finally saw that its head was leaning back a bit too far. The child let out a chuckle. "You may want to stick to making snowballs, Frosty."

Jack glanced sideways at him before a grin split over his features. "Think your funny, do yah," he asked as he retrieved his staff and formed a snowball in his free hand. He blew icy frost on it and tossed it up once before catching it.

Jamie's jaw dropped a little. "We made a deal. You can't-"

"That was for making snowmen. You said nothing about using my powers in a snowball fight."

With hardly any warning, Jack chucked the snowball. Laughing exuberantly, Jamie spun to jump out of the way. The snow smashed against a tree, narrowly missing the kid. Jack barked a laugh as Jamie blew a childish raspberry before taking off passed his lake and down the hill.

Jamie kept looking behind him knowing surely that his Guardian was close behind, but sneakily out of sight. The child ran through the woods in a sloppy serpentine formation, ducking and weaving around logs, boulders, and trees. If patches of ice ever crossed his path he would expertly jump or slide over them. However, this practice was short-lived when he landed wrong, causing his left foot to slide over the ice and trip over his right one. His small body pitched as he was launched sideways, snow splaying in short waves as he tumbled down a steep hill.

"Got'cha," a familiar voice rang before something hooked around his middle, bringing him to a halt. Jamie exhaled as he looked down to see to the hook of Jack's staff wrapped around his lanky waist.

"You okay," Jack asked with a wide, but sincere smile as Jamie jumped down from the hook. The kid nodded, his messy hair falling in front of his eyes as he brushed himself off. "Great," Jack said, Jamie now noticing that he kept one hand behind his back. "Now, where were we?"

Jack whipped his hand and the snowball hurled through the air until colliding with Jamie's face. The kid laughed, batting the snow off his face while taking a few steps back. Jack didn't have time to catch him as Jamie stumbled over a snow-covered boulder.

"Okay," Jack chuckled lightly, floating forward to lean over Jamie. He held out his hand for the kid. "Your clumsiness was cute at first, but now I'm seriously worried that you're going to break an ankle."

Jamie grinned and rolled his eyes once he was standing. "Not my fault I'm bonded with the overprotective one. Let's see," Jamie tapped his chin. "Jack Frost: Guardian of Fun and keeper of blizzards." He paused for added effect. "And is a nanny on his down time." His only response was another snowball to the face.

"It's almost scary how more like me you're becoming." Jack muttered as Jamie fixed the knot of his cloak. "What did you trip over, anyway," he mused as he crouched next to the boulder. He hummed at how thin the rock was and started running his hand over it to swipe away the snow.

Jamie rocked back on his heels as the sun began its slow sinking behind the grey clouds. His mother wouldn't be happy about him staying out too late. Jamie pursed his lips. Just like Jack, he wanted to go outside and have fun, all the time. His grades were perfect right now and he didn't consider himself a bad kid. Why did his mother have to worry so much? Jamie turned to his friend to ask for a ride home, but his words faded before he could even get them out.

Jack's cerulean gaze was locked hypnotically onto the boulder. However, he had brushed the snow off all the way down to its base to reveal not a boulder, but a thin slab of fieldstone. A grave marker.

Jamie looked from the headstone to Jack, trying to gauge the situation. The kid inhaled, clamping his eyes shut as his thoughts prodded Jack's mind. He couldn't detect any coherent sentences, but he felt his emotions. Like his thoughts, Jack's emotions were always energized, but had a certain lightness, a calm that even the Guardians wouldn't consider him possessing.

However, even given the awkwardness of the silence, Jack's emotions were very peaceful and still as his eyes travelled over the gravestone. Jamie slowly strode until he was a couple inches behind him. The wind returned to brush only at Jack's hair, not Jamie's, in a comforting matter. Jamie cocked his head as if able to hear the breeze whispering into the winter spirit's ears.

Gradually breaking out of his stupor, Jack sunk backward onto his rear and curled his crossed legs to his chest. His light, Jack-like chuckle broke the evening.

Jack traced a finger over the faded and crumbling name on the headstone. "It's funny," Jack grinned a little as he ran his pinky against the dates. A light trail of frost respectfully sprouted wherever he touched. Jack craned his head to look back at Jamie. "You look just like her, you know?"

The little boy sat down next to the Guardian. "Your sister?"

"Yeah," Jack confirmed, pointing to the name on the headstone before running a tender hand through the kid's hair. "Sometimes I think you two could be related."

A wide grin spread over Jamie's lips as he bounced excitedly in his snowy seat. "That means _we_ could be related!" Jamie pointed between him and Jack.

"Really," he said sarcastically, hugging Jamie's shoulders to bring him closer. "Could've fooled me." Jamie rolled his eyes and playfully pushed the spirit's ribs. "Who knows," Jack sighed. "That would explain why we bonded so quickly."

"And why you've been looking after me even before I knew you."

Jack nodded. "You act like her, too, I think," he added, his pale hand scratching his white hair as he sifted through the hazy memories. "Come to think of it," he laughed. "She used to make better snowmen than me."

Jamie's lips parted in an open smile, knowing surely that touching his sister's gravestone may have triggered that memory back to life.

"Hey, while we're on the whole 'learning' subject," Jack asked semi-awkwardly. "Do you want to go see North tomorrow? I want to look through his library again." Jack looked down at Jamie, discreetly hugging him a bit closer. "Think you have time to teach me how to read the next book in the series?"

Jamie nodded. Jack was getting better at reading. However, he was intent on speeding forward in order to read an adventure series he found in the fantasy section of North's library.

"Thanks, kid," Jack said, conviction mixing into his playful smile.

For the next twenty mintues, the pair stared at his sister's grave. The light frost that coated the face of the headstone eventually stopped growing, forming a delicate, but large, silhouette of a rose.


	24. Blizzard of '13

**Requested by: **_MysticCat_ and _monkeygirl77_

Blizzard of '13

The chilling December breeze made its round calmly through Burgess, as it did every year. Neither malicious nor merciful, the wind brushed around the bustling little city, forcing townsfolk to pull their scarves and coat collars tightly around the more exposed of their skin. As birds fluttered and huddled away from the frost that was slowly coming to a halt on the birdfeeders and clotheslines, it was clear that Jack Frost was finally done with his daily sweep. At least that's what numerous children in Burgess assumed after the spirit had waved 'goodbye' and took to the air. However, a certain child merely shook his head, knowing well that his friend would return to greet him later that night.

With the Guardian gone, so went the usual exuberant chaos. However, the afternoon and morning's playfulness carried well into the evening, as did the overall winter energy. Ah, yes, a kind of energy was certainly there.

Jamie Bennett plummeted to the ground with a breathy 'oof'. The child rubbed his shoulder and groaned as he pushed himself to his knees. A scowl crossed his features and he growled, shuffled to his feet, and turned around.

"Come on, Eric," Jamie said evenly, holding his hand out to the high schooler. "Give it back."

The teenager laughed and stepped backward out of the puny kid's reach, adjusting his frayed tossle cap and the tanned leather fisted in his calloused hands.

"Where'd you get this ratty old thing at, anyway?" Eric snickered, tugging at the hems of the old leather cloak. "Bet'cha stole it. Bet'cha not as innocent as you look."

"I didn't steal it," Jamie frowned, leaping feebly in an attempt to retrieve the cloak from the teen's grasp. "Let go of it, you'll rip it!"

"Hey," Eric's friend chuckled, hardly paying attention as a little blond-haired girl tried to jerk her coat free from his meaty fingers. "I bet he stole it from _Jack Frost_."

"Ooh, boy," Eric's shoulders sagged dramatically as he looked Jamie in the eye. "Don't tell me you still believe in 'Old Man Winter'."

Jamie huffed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was about take another dive for his cloak before he realized that his right wrist was being restrained in the bully's grasp. "He's my best friend," he argued matter-of-factly. "Of course I believe in him! And he isn't old. In fact, he could kick your butt."

"Yeah? Just like he did with the Boogeyman?" Both bullies broke down into guffawing laughter, making Jamie gasp as the hand involuntarily tightened around his wrist.

The winter winds finally reached them, brushing at their clothes and even murmuring into Jamie's ear. With a connection yet to be made with the wind, the most Jamie could do was take comfort in its whispers and silently ask it for help. The bullies' laughter faded when Jamie's leather cloak was ripped out of Eric's hands, effectively being blown far amongst the towering trees of the nearby woods.

Jamie exhaled hopelessly as he watched the breeze carry the cloak up to the mountains and out of sight. _Thanks, wind. _Jamie's hand suddenly clenched at his sides.

With a frustrated cry that even surprised himself, Jamie lunged forward and beat a fist against Eric's upper arm. Admittedly, the bully did have a dull apology planned, but as soon as the kid weakly connected with his shoulder, he chuckled in mild astonishment before swinging his arm forward, sending Jamie roughly, but unharmed, back to the snowy ground. Exhaling, Jamie slowly leaned up to support himself on his elbows, more desperation than fire glazing his wide eyes.

Eric giggled while rubbing his afflicted arm. "Well, that was…cute." Jamie scowled again and he jumped unsteadily to his feet, making Eric's friend gape slightly. "You got guts, kid. But you got no idea what you're in for."

Snow crunching under his thumping feet, Eric stepped closer to the little boy. As the high schooler fisted and cracked his knuckles, Jamie found his glare faltering. At the extremely obvious height and muscle difference, the little kid started taking a few steps back.

The blond-haired girl struggled against the other bully still holding her back. "Leave him alone," Sophie's shrill voice yelled, her childish age slurring her L's.

Eric only laughed at this as he turned away from Jamie to walk toward the trembling little girl. "Let me guess," he scoffed. "You want to fight, too, huh?"

The trees that swayed with the evening breeze came to clean, sudden halt as the bully made his way to Sophie. The birds flitting over the park's feeders ceased their twittering and flew frantically away. The one bully scrunched his eyebrows together as the shadows under them vanished with the sun.

"Uh," the teenager swallowed when he looked up. "Eric?"

Eric followed his gaze and stopped rounding Sophie as he took in the gathering gray clouds. The clouds toiled and laced together, rumbling distantly as white, marble-sized puffs materialized. They didn't hover and dance about the air like Jack's playful snowflakes did. Instead, they plummeted straight to the Earth, growing in size and numbers.

Both bullies' hands fell to their sides as the snow fell on them and refused to melt. Sophie giggled and pointed at their heads. "Dandruff," she grinned bubbly.

"Shut up, you little brat," Eric's friend snapped, swiping the snow from his greasy hair. A gasp escaped his chapped lips when he noticed that the snow level was now almost covering his boots.

Jamie blinked, as if his anger truly blinded him for a moment, and gaped at the scene. A mass flurry plunged from the sky, landing directly onto the bullies as well as Sophie. Not to mention the whole of Burgess was also being covered. Jamie cringed and tipped his chin to the sky.

"Okay, seriously," he called out to Jack, to the wind, to the snow, to _whoever_. "You can stop now!"

Jamie's hollers were cut short when Eric suddenly cried out in pain. The bully reached behind his neck and pulled out something small and solid from inside his tee-shirt. Eric quirked an eyebrow and inspected the tiny piece of ice in his hand. "Hail?"

Another yelp rang out when the falling ice hit Sophie's nose. The amount of snow started matching the amount of hail and before long the bullies gave frustrated groans and ran out of the park. Sophie wasn't too far behind as she pulled her hood up, beckoned for Jamie to follow, and also made a break for home.

Jamie yelled at her to slow down, but the falling snowstorm swallowed his words as he raced after her. It got to the point where Jamie wasn't quite sure where he was anymore, couldn't even see a foot in front of his nose.

The snowfall had quickly transformed into a blizzard and while Jamie wasn't being hit with the worst of the weather, he still had extreme difficulty running through it. The wind howled menacingly in his ears and all he could see, everywhere he looked, was a grayish wall of snowflakes and hail. Jamie's sprinting gradually slowed. It was partly because he was getting tired, but also for the fact that the snow now met above his knees, almost bringing him to a standstill.

When he finally observed the sheer drop in temperature, Jamie had to resist the urge to chatter his teeth. As a distraction, he settled for wrapping his arms tightly around his chest. He realized sardonically that simply wearing a red holiday sweater wasn't exactly helping.

He tripped when his toe caught the dark surface of a moss-covered and frozen log. With a small sigh, in both relief and clumsy agitation, he rolled over and scrambled to sit up on the rotted wood. While he slowly folded his jean-clad knees to his chest, a thought crossed his mind as chills spread from his spine and over his little body. He was bonded with Jack Frost and his powers may be developing well.

But he was freezing.

So cold and all he could really do was sit and shiver until the storm died down. But as half of the log became submerged in white, he knew he'd be waiting a while.

Jamie adjusted himself to lean his head against another tree right next to him. He furrowed his eyebrows, remembering the other trees and dirt trails he had recently passed. No doubt he must've taken a wrong turn and was now somewhere deep in the woods surrounding his hometown. At this point it didn't matter. As the skies darkened into nightfall he was becoming too tired to care about the temperature, too tired to care that the hail had receded and that the snow was now pelting him rather than avoiding.

Jamie huddled against the crook of the log and tree as the bone-chilling cold tried coaxing him into a deep slumber. This encouragement was even more inviting when the wind seemed to wrap heavily around his shoulders in a certain, odd warming gesture. He hummed when the breeze stopped there as if it was gripping his upper arms.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to fall asleep during a blizzard?"

Jamie's eye snapped wide-awake and he released a sigh as he looked into those cerulean orbs. Jack, hair sticking out more than usual and clothes battering with the howling wind, stood directly in front of Jamie, pale hands fidgeting and tugging something near the little boy's neck. Looking down, Jamie's grin widened as Jack's fingers neatly tied the leather string until the cloak fit snuggly over his scrawny back.

"I saw a tree near the mountains snag this," Jack explained with the usual comical grin. "I thought you might need it for this weather."

Jamie smiled and leaned forward to hug Jack's waist, and Jack wasted no time in kneeling down to clutch him back. "How did you know to come back to Burgess," the younger boy's voice muffled into the hoodie.

"Baby Tooth was flying over the area when the blizzard hit," Jack explained. "Which, by the way, I did not cause." He waggled an accusing brow at the giggling little kid. "She flew off, found me, and told me to come here."

"Guess I kind of," Jamie cleared his throat embarrassedly. "lost control."

Jack grinned crookedly and shook his head. "There's also this," the winter spirit said when he tapped the child's temple. His smile slipped a little. "I didn't like how nervous you were feeling. I was in the middle of a snowball fight in Vermont and I almost accidentally froze a kid when your anxiety hit me."

Jamie produced a fake pout. "Replacing me already?"

"Nah," Jack rolled his eyes and smiled, dusting snow off the little kid's messy hair. "They weren't able to see me." Jack's rare distant look appeared before being replaced with its usual brightness. "So," he continued. "What's a little kid like you doing playing in blizzard this time of night?"

It was Jamie's turn to roll his eyes and another sharp chill ran over his spine, causing him to cross his arms in front of his chest. "Can you please take me home, Jack?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," Jack said before hoisting Jamie into his arms. With practiced ease, Jack kicked off the ground and up into the sky. He was about to readjust his angle toward Jamie's home until the spirit's body jerked backwards, almost slamming into a passing tree. "Hold on," Jack muttered before leaning back and spiraling to the ground. Jamie made to brace himself for the impact. However, the wind began tugging harshly against them, making Jack growl in frustration and veer sideways to land on a tree branch.

Jack gave a long whistle as he shifted Jamie so he could hold the kid on his back. "No go," he decided. "The wind's having too much fun with the blizzard; it's completely ignoring me."

Jamie exhaled and rested his chin on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry about the blizzard," he grumbled.

Jack looked back at him with an ever-wide smile. "You kidding?" The Guardian coughed a laugh as he jumped from the branch and floated softly to the ground. His feet trudged smoothly through the snow, as if the added layers weren't a hindrance. "This is nothing, kid! The first time I lost control of my powers I buried an entire village."

"With my luck, Burgess will end up the same way."

Jack shook his head. "You would never let that happen." Jack's walking suddenly sped to a brisk run as he weaved through the woods. Jamie was about to question him when the Guardian came to an abrupt halt. "Here we are," Jack said boisterously. Jamie squinted through the darkness, and he could just make out the opening of a small cave.

"Home away from home," Jack's words echoed through the quiet cavern. He didn't put the little boy down until they were completely inside. Jamie found his grin returning when he realized that the temperature in the cave wasn't as freezing as the weather outside.

"Wait a minute," Jamie gasped suddenly, making Jack turn to fully face him. "Sophie! Jack, she was heading home. We need to go back to Burgess. She might be-"

"Hey, slow down, kiddo," Jack breathed, letting his hand fall on Jamie's shoulder. "She's perfectly safe. When I came back I saw her on your front porch and, after she told me you were still somewhere in the blizzard, I even asked her to cover for you. Your mom probably thinks you're sleeping over at a friend's house or something."

Jamie gaped at him. "Will the blizzard really last the whole night?"

Jack shrugged as if it was no big deal. "More than likely, but I'll make sure the snow won't rise much more." A smile stretched over his lips. "Unless you want the next two weeks entirely dedicated to snow days."

Jamie smiled and gave him his thanks before leaning against the wall of the cave and sliding down to the floor. When the wind briefly entered the cave, out of habit, Jamie brought his cloak closer around his small form.

"So," Jack pursed his lips and sat cross-legged in front of the kid. "Bullies, huh?"

Jamie tilted his head. "How'd you know about that?"

"Baby Tooth saw the whole thing," Jack said. A sharp squeak emanated from his hoodie when he tried to shove his hands in his front pocket. "Sorry," he quickly apologized to the pocket.

"What was that?" Jack shifted sideways, revealing a small bunch of vivid feathers hidden within the pocket's fabric. An almost inaudible snore sounded from the feathers. Jamie chuckled. "Baby Tooth's sleeping on the job?"

Jack shook his head, matching the grin. "Even Toothiana wouldn't let her continue flying in this weather. Actually," Jack said. "If anybody's lying down on the job, it's us."

"Huh?"

"Winter spirits make blizzards just as much as they're meant to tame them."

Jamie frowned and shook his head. "But I'm not a winter spirit."

"No," Jack agreed. "But you're training to be one even if you're not immortal."

"Speaking of which…" Jamie bit his lip.

Jack sighed, eyes slipping shut. "I told you, Jamie. I'm not doing it."

"But Nicky-"

"Was able to get away with it," Jack cut him off. "because Silas is his only family. You," Jack brought his staff up, using it to gently poke Jamie's belly. "have a lot of friends, as well as a mother and a sister. What about your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousin? If I made you immortal, you wouldn't age anymore and people would ask questions. You'd have to leave your family behind."

As far as Jamie knew, he didn't actually have any aunts or uncles, or grandparents for that matter. And if he had any cousins, he'd never met them before. His mother couldn't afford to take them on too many trips, if they were to visit any family members. On top of it all, people were already asking questions about him, his sister included. If Sophie, Jamie, and their mother were ever out and about, the poor woman would often be interrogated. And Jamie heard the questions over and over again: Why do your children look so young for their age? Why does your one child walk barefoot? Why is your other child obsessed with Easter? These questions not only came from the adults, but from kids in their grades, as well.

"Immortal or not," Jamie muttered, resting his chin on his knees. "Things are getting real complicated nowadays." Jamie briefly thought of how older his friends appeared, compared to him.

"Don't worry," Jack waved his hand, and Jamie could've sworn he saw the snow slightly abate with the action. "We'll figure it out." Jack followed Jamie's gaze out the mouth of the cave. He chuckled. "Not a bad blizzard you got there."

"I didn't mean for that to happen," Jamie explained. "Those high school kids were already getting on my nerves. I'm sorry I almost lost your cloak, by the way." Jack only shrugged and said he was just happy he could find it. "Also," he continued. "They were messing with Sophie." Whether or not the bullies were even thinking about harming Sophie, it didn't matter to him at the time. He didn't want anyone harming his little sister, and if that meant having to create a spontaneous and totally accidental blizzard, then so be it!

"You're a good brother," Jack smiled. "At least you didn't sock 'em like I would've."

"I was about to," Jamie decided would probably be the case.

"But you went with the next best thing. Snow." Jack looked out at the weather again. "Seriously, though. They could be using this kind of snow in other states. Maybe it's time I finally take you to work with me," he grinned with a wink.

"Really?" Jamie sat straighter with a playful energy Jack found familiar to himself.

"Sure, why not? It'll give me a good chance to teach you how to control your emotions with the snow. Winter break's coming up and that's my most favorite time to spread winter." He shuffled closer to Jamie with a clever glint in his eyes. "I wonder if Hawaii would like a white Christmas this year."

* * *

_* I only hope that the title of this chapter makes sense. Anyway, thank you to all who have read/favorited/followed/reviewed so far. I absolutely love the constructive criticism (as well as the compliments)._


	25. Spring Fever

_*_**_ And for some clarification, there is no romance in this fiction. It's all brotherly fluff with occasional Sophie and Bunny bonding moments._**

Spring Fever

Jack's ears pounded at the sound of the child's agonistic coughing. He fidgeted the shepherd's crook from hand to hand before shaking his head and jumping from the windowsill. With a smooth glide, the spirit brushed passed the oblivious adults and jumped nimbly to crouch atop the child's dresser.

A thin man stood over Jamie's bed while the boy's mother watched impatiently from the other end of the room. The man grumbled confusedly to himself as he drew the thermometer from the kid's mouth.

"Well," the doctor said with a hand on his chin and an eye on the gauge. "He certainly has a fever," he confirmed before rattling off the temperature.

The winter spirit rolled his eyes as he inspected the perspiration matting over his friend's face and hair. "Really," Jack laughed sardonically as he bent foreword to swipe beads of sweat from Jamie's forehead. "Could've fooled me."

Obviously not hearing Jack, the doctor brushed his lab coat before throwing a brief glance to the mother. From his perch, Jack kept a wary eye on the doctor as the man leaned to feel the glands under Jamie's jaw. The boy, exhausted, overheated and not bothering to open his eyes, moaned in his sleep and then dove into a fit of sharp and painful hacks.

Jack glowered agitatedly, but shook his head. _The doctor's just doing his job,_ he calmed himself. _You don't need to turn the guy into an ice block_. Still, the winter spirit suddenly found himself hopping down from the dresser to stand next to the bed.

"He just needs bed rest," the pediatrician turned back to the nervous mother.

Jack tuned them out as he crouched until he was eye level with the half-conscious boy. A groan escaped Jamie as he shoved the covers away, revealing the sweat stains on his baggy pajama shirt. Jack winced when he felt a sharp stab somewhere in the back of his head. The winter spirit knew it wasn't going to be fun if either of them got sick, especially with the bond. And while Jack wasn't ill at all, their connection still required him to undergo the pain of Jamie's coughs and headaches.

For two days straight, the spirit found himself unable to leave, instinct to look after his kid dictating his winter schedule. Though Burgess was just recently done with the snowy season, other places still needed it. However, even if he was feeling cooped up, Jack, both willingly and involuntarily, refused to leave.

Jack ignored the obnoxiously shrill voice of the doctor and huffed as the little kid let out another series of coughs. Briefly pursing his lips, the Guardian raised his fingertips and pressed them lightly against Jamie's throat. His hands flashed a brilliant shade of blue over the clammy skin, and Jamie's scrunched face finally relaxed, along with a peaceful sigh.

"…And his cough?" Jack vaguely heard the mother ask.

"The medication you're using right now is perfect," the doctor confirmed as he scratched a grey brow. "Just worry about the fever." The man grabbed his bag. "Notify me if there are any other problems."

The closing click of the wooden bedroom door signaled the doctor and mother's departure. All that was left from them was the woman's gentle kiss on her son's hair and the fading of the adults' conversation as they headed downstairs. Jack also could've sworn he heard the vibrations of a cell phone in a pocket.

Jack gave a frustrated grumble as a warm breeze rifled through the room, making the younger boy roll uncomfortably on the bed. Jack stood straighter and swung his to staff to silently command the wind to pull the window shut.

As he walked away from the bed to the far side of the room, Jack rubbed his palms together, forming a small disc of ice no bigger than his hands. When he made it to a yellowing, rickety fan residing on the desk near the wall, the spirit tried to turn its knob further, but it wouldn't budge. Far as it could crank, the fan was on full blast, but its air could only reach out a few feet. And the power outlet behind Jamie's nightstand wasn't functional, so moving the fan closer wasn't an option.

Jack snapped his gaze from the infuriating electronic when Jamie's bed creaked. The little boy kicked the blanket all the way off the bed as he sat up to face his glassy eyes at the spirit. Jack cracked a crooked, albeit worried, grin. "How you feeling, kiddo?"

Jamie groaned and used the corner of the bed sheet to wipe the back of his neck. "Feels too hot," Jamie muttered, and Jack had to suppress a light chuckle at the underlying whine. Jamie tilted his head slightly. "I think it's just because it's warmer out," Jamie said, looking intently at his Guardian. "Right?"

"More than likely," Jack nodded, leaning on the edge of the desk and placing the ice disc next to him. "Your body is probably always going to be stuck between human and winter spirit," he mused at his own theory. "Warm weather isn't exactly going to agree with you anymore, unless you know how to lower your core temperature, but that's a lesson for another day. In the meantime," Jack said with a growing grin, sliding the ice disc off the desk and slipping it between the spokes of the fan. "This'll have to do."

Jamie closed his eyes, humming in appreciation as the fan shaved off tiny, harmless shards of ice from the disc, the magic from the cold substance being propelled through the room, but mostly toward Jamie's bed. Jack started twirling his staff in relief at the chilly change in temperature. The child let out a groggy laugh as he flopped backward onto the bed, and before he could make a comment a knock sounded at his door, making him bolt upright.

"Jamie," his mother called from the hallway.

"Yes," the boy answered, but trailed off as soon as he noticed the ferns of frost spreading over the bedposts, the floor, and even covering some of his posters. He gasped. "Uh, don't come in!"

"Is everything okay? Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah! Just, um…" Jamie bit his lip as he watched Jack lean over some papers on the nightstand, trying to clear ice away from his latest drawings. The little kid shook his head. "What's up," Jamie hollered as he held his throat as if to hold in another cough.

Jamie heard his mother's feet shuffling against the carpet outside the door. "I just got called into work...again; they want to talk to me about the article I'm writing for them. Would you like me to see if one of our neighbors can babysit you, sweetie?"

Jack snickered and a light blush painted the younger boy's cheeks. "Mom, I'm almost in high school," he protested after throwing a pillow at the bubbly winter spirit. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Fine, fine," she said, and Jamie envisioned the woman raising her hands in defense. "By the way, have you seen your sister?"

"She's hanging out with Bunnymund."

"Who?"

Jamie's shoulders sagged before he opened his mouth again. "She's over at a friend's house."

After a short 'goodbye' was exchanged, the mother's footsteps could be heard going down the stairs once more, and as soon as he heard the front door slam shut, Jamie turned to a wide-grinning Jack Frost.

"Don't worry, _sweetie_," Jack chuckled, running a hand through the child's short hair. "I'll keep an eye on you." And while there was some seriousness to his lighthearted words, Jack's face was still met with another pillow.

In a matter of months Jamie was going to be a freshman. Ah, yes. And in a couple more years he'd be ready to graduate, move onto college to enter a world of further education…while probably still appearing less than twelve years old. Jack knew that his growth was going to be stunted by the bond, but he hadn't anticipated a pause that would last more than a few years. He perhaps looked a year or two older since they first met, but there was overall no change, both physically and in demeanor. Jamie had grown a bit wiser and maybe adopted some of Jack's sarcasm, but he still retained his sweet innocence that made him _Jamie_.

"Okay," the winter spirit continued, waving his staff to bring about a light snowfall. He sat on the edge of the bed. "The warden's gone. So, what do you want to do?" Jamie shrugged as he cupped a few, un-melting snowflakes in his little hands. Jack hummed as he looked up to stare at the falling snow. "We could," he began. "have a snowball fight, go sledding, make a few blizzards…"

"Sledding would be awesome, but it's the beginning of spring, Jack," Jamie quipped accusingly, but smiled anyway as Jack took a few chunks of frost from the bedposts to smooth over the kid's overheated face. "I still can't believe you made it storm in Hawaii last Christmas."

"I like to hold true to my promises," Jack remarked, dusting his hands off before standing up with a lithe skip in step. "And I don't care if it's spring. I _am_ Jack Frost, remember?" Jack held his hand out to the child and asked, "You wanted to go sledding, right?"

* * *

"We've been holed up in that room for more than two days," Jack sat down, glancing back at Jamie as the kid choked out a few dry hacks. "We've earned a break, don't you think?"

Jamie coughed into a baggy sleeve again, but had a smile plastered to his face. "Definitely." His excitement grew when Jack positioned the laundry basket to teeter at the very top of the stairs, a nice layer of snow crunching under the plastic.

In hindsight, covering the entire house, aside from electronics, in a foot of fresh snow was neither a good idea nor convenient. However, as much as just covering the stairs with snow was great, it wouldn't have given off the blissful chill they were feeling now. The kid only hoped the Guardian would clean it all up before his mother got home. But knowing Jack…

Jack felt Jamie's hands clasp onto the back of his hoodie as the laundry basket began to nosedive. With an energized whoop, from either Jack or Jamie, the duo found themselves zipping speedily down the staircase, veering around the corner, and sliding closer to the bottom step until leveling out and coming to a sudden halt on top of the door mat. The next hour or so was spent this way, riding down the staircase, brotherly arguing on who should sit in the front or back, and Jack went so far as to build an ice ramp, and to even fish Jamie's toboggan out of the rusty, leaning shed in the backyard.

Jamie let out a scrapy laugh as he slid down the stairs. However, instead of using the sled or basket, the child only held on to the hook of the staff as Jack pulled him briskly, but steadily, down the stairs. Right before Jamie got to the bottom step, Jack swung his staff wide, forcing the kid to let go and land deep in a snow bank along the kitchen wall. Jack and Jamie let out a simultaneous laugh as the winter spirit made the snow cease falling.

"I can't wait to be able to make snow on my own," Jamie whispered a little more calmly, hands and legs spanning to make a snow angel.

"Remind me what that blizzard a couple months ago was?" Jack grinned, trying to hide the scowl forming from the growing headache. Most likely Jamie's medication was wearing off. Jack leapt onto the kitchen counter to grab a small bottle and empty glass from two cabinets. He filled the glass with tap water before plopping down next to Jamie. Handing the glass to the kid, Jack shook the mouth of the bottle over his hand before a small pill rolled out.

Jamie grimaced as he took the pill from the spirit. "I hate taking these."

"I'd rather take that than that foul liquid stuff," Jack murmured, closing the bottle while watching the kid down the medicine.

"I don't even feel sick anymore."

Jack quirked an eyebrow and brushed a hand over the little kid's forehead. "You still have a fever."

"I wouldn't have the fever if I could change my body temperature," Jamie crossed his arms stubbornly. "I wouldn't have the fever if I could make it snow on my own." The kid ran his stuffed nose over the sleeve of his nightshirt.

Jack bit his lip. "Jamie, it's-"

"I know, I know," Jamie nodded, messy hair falling in front of his chocolate eyes. "You don't want me tiring myself out, but I have to learn this stuff sooner or later." Jack only shook his head slowly and looked around at the snow that was quite possibly melting and ruining the furniture of the house.

Overexertion was merely part of the reason why Jack was only allowing him to do select magic. Jack liked making snow for Jamie. He liked holding the little kid when he had a fever or was too warm on a summer's day. Whether it stemmed from his Guardian instincts, or from missing the vague moments with his little sister, he couldn't pinpoint it.

He simply liked taking caring of Jamie.

Then again, there was the bond to consi-

Freezing cold and wet smashed over the Guardian's face. With an amused cringe, he shook the snow away and rolled his cerulean eyes at the boy. He saw that Jamie was now standing in front of him, rocking on his heels whilst looking away as if nothing happened.

"Ah, yes," Jack smacked his forehead as if he forgot something. "We had a snowball fight scheduled."

Showing all his teeth in the smile, Jack piled snow in his hands, took to the air, and threw them at the kid. Jamie took the hit, but slid across the icy kitchen floor and behind the counter, using much of the small kitchen as a shield and using lower shelves to stock ammo.

Their fight went on for several long minutes, snow flying here and snow crashing there. Their laughter and energy became so raucous that Jamie couldn't even feel his fever or headache anymore. Even his sore throat was abating. Of course, they were having so much fun that they didn't notice the intruding waft of the warm outside air, or the suspicious sliding of the discarded laundry basket.

"James Lucas Bennett!"

Jamie immediately looked over the counter at the voice, and his stomach lurched sickeningly. In the doorway, laundry basket dangling loosely in hand and mouth wide open, was his mother. Eyes wide with shock, she spun, inch by inch, to incredulously inspect her home now incased in a winter wonderland.

"Um, d-don't worry," Jamie glanced briefly at Jack, who was just as unsure as he was. "Jack and I, um…we'll clean this up. We promise! Right, Jack?" The boy set a pleading stare on his friend, but he could tell by Jack's scolded face that he didn't have a plan either.

The mother continued looking around, jaw moving wordlessly like a fish out of water.

"It'll all melt eventually." Jamie tried to find reassuring words. "Oh, and I don't feel sick anymore!"

The woman still said nothing, but her stiff posture melted away when she stumbled back, worn shoes shuffling over the snow that covered much of the living room. Jamie asked aloud if she was all right, but his words came out as soon as the mother's face paled white as the snow. And before either boys could jolt to catch her, she'd already fallen over in a faint. Thankfully, the snow was there to break her fall.

Jack flexed his jaw as Jamie ran to his mother's side. The child looked disparately up at the hovering Guardian. Jack pursed his lips, still holding snow in his palms. He gently floated down until his feet touched the countertop.

And then, with lame exuberance, Jack held up his snowball-clad hands and donned a shaky smile. "Welcome home!"

* * *

_* I had to make up Jamie's middle name –I apologize – but the name Lucas actually means "light". So, I thought it'd be fitting._


	26. Then The Ice Gave Way

_* I have no idea if this is what anyone was expecting. Many of you may not be happy with me after this...depending._

Then The Ice Gave Way

An embarrassed tinge of blush crept over Jamie's features as his friends whooped at the air and elbowed his scrawny shoulders. The street and spring air were filled with the gang's laughter and cheering.

"I can't believe you froze the chalkboard," Claude guffawed.

"I can't believe our math teacher was making us study on the last day of school," Caleb grinned, looking down at Jamie. "Thanks for the save, dude!"

Monty, the most studious – and now the tallest – grumbled incoherently under his breath. Jamie had accidentally froze the chalkboard before Monty could jot down the last of the equations. Even if he didn't get to finish the problems, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. And as everyone showed and exchanged certain slips of papers between each other, it was obvious that no one's mood could truly be dampened today.

"Summer," Pippa sang as she looked over the papers she and her friends received.

"And we got next year's schedule," Cupcake added, looking over Pippa's shoulder and realizing they were going to share an art class.

Jamie laughed along with his friends, but it was very halfhearted. Though ever positive and happy that he was going to have a literature class with Caleb, he still wasn't quite as optimistic as the others.

He always smiled with them, played with them, and laughed with them like always, but every time he saw one of his friend's shadows loom over his smaller figure, he was reminded of the bullies that already ridiculed him. And it wasn't just bullies. At the very start of the school year, a teacher had asked him why he wasn't with Sophie up at the elementary school. It was an innocent and legitimate question that made Jamie ponder more than it should've.

Jamie still appeared around the age of twelve, which made him look like a younger sibling in the group rather than friends of the same age. As they all departed to their respective houses, and as Jamie heard one of his friends call out a "tell Jack we said 'hi'" statement, he was reminded that this was not only the last day of school, but it was one day closer to high school, one day closer to a completely new breed of bullies.

Jamie tried to shake the thoughts away as he opened the front door, tossed his backpack on the counter, and brushed passed his mom to go upstairs. He didn't make it five steps when he heard his mother speak from the dining room table.

"How was school today," the woman asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the article she'd been typing on the laptop.

"It was okay," Jamie said rather curtly, turning again to make it up the stairs. He heard his mom sigh before she called him again. The kid blew a puff of air to his bangs, and his current mindset didn't allow him to make eye contact with her.

"Jamie," his mother said after a long moment. "We have to talk about this."

Jamie spun to fully face the woman. "I already told you how all that snow got there."

The mom's eyes narrowed. "Snow doesn't just magically appear on its own."

_Try explaining that to Jack Frost_, Jamie wanted to say, but held his tongue. He didn't want to take his frustration out on his mother. Instead, Jamie exhaled and said, "We were making fake snow in science class that week, and I brought some home, and-"

The mother clapped the laptop shut, looking at Jamie steadily. "One little vial of snow isn't enough to fill an entire house."

"I know, but-"

"Jamie, all of the furniture was ruined! Do you know how much it costs to replace all of that. I'm still trying to find a couch that-"

The familiar chord that represented Jamie and Jack's bond inside twitched inside the kid. "I'm sorry!" He shouted, before turning heel and running up the stairs. He wasn't mad at her. In fact, he wasn't mad at anyone in particular; it was agitation that was initially getting to him.

As soon as Jamie yanked his bedroom door open and slammed it close, he leaned against the frame and exhaled, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. With the summer solstice only days away, the heat was taking its toll on the kid, and there was no avoiding it. Inside or out, Jamie could feel the high temperature. However, heat, bullies, and his mother weren't the only things making him edgy.

The chord inside Jamie rippled and strummed pensively as he flopped backward onto the bed, and no matter how much he concentrated, his frustration was getting in the way of channeling Jack's thoughts.

* * *

The mother pushed the empty coffee mug to the other end of the table before she rubbed her temple with her fingertips. After she had put Sophie to bed, she made one more brew of coffee before setting down to write the rest of it. She was only halfway through writing the roundabout article before she finally used up the last of the beverage.

The woman's fingers danced lazily over the keys, eyes drooping and barely paying heed to what she was writing. Even if sleep tried to take her, she couldn't stop writing. She had already asked her boss an extension on the deadline,_ twice_, and if she were late, _again_, with her submission her boss certainly wouldn't be happy. With two kids to look after, being fired wasn't an option.

The mom was about to move on to another paragraph before she heard the familiar click of Jamie's bedroom window. Very light, almost inaudible, footsteps sounded from the bedroom, pattering across the floor. Then, the footsteps ceased, being replaced with the sound of Jamie's bed creaking.

The mom buried her face in her hands after looking at the wall clock. This was always the time when Jamie would return home after sneaking out. How he manages to sneak in and out the window was beyond her, but nonetheless. It was routine now.

Regardless of the late hour or how much she needed to finish the article, Jamie's mom stood up and began trekking up the stairs to dutifully tuck her son in. The moment she entered the upstairs hallway, her hands found her shoulders. A chilling bite in the air met her bare arms and the urge to chatter her teeth grew stronger as she came closer to Jamie's room. This was also routine. When she opened the child's door, the mother expected to only see her son putting on his pajamas and climbing into bed. Except, Jamie was already in bed, and he wasn't alone in the room.

Like always, Jamie's arms were wrapped around his favorite stuffed rabbit, but another set of hoodie-clad arms were wrapped securely around the slumbering boy. A teenager with white hair, a blue jumper, and no older than seventeen, was holding the little kid close to his chest.

The mom blinked rapidly, gaping incredulously at this stranger in her home who was sleeping next to her young child. Scowling, the mom fought the urge to shake her head, knowing full well that despite Jamie's size he was still going into high school. He was growing up.

The woman was about to speak up before the older teen's eyes fluttered open, revealing striking cerulean irises. The stranger exhaled before releasing Jamie and untangling himself from the mess of blankets. The teenager slid silently off the bed, and turned around to kneel over Jamie.

"…just got here," she could her snippets of his words. "But I have to run something by…be back tomorrow."

Jamie's form shifted a little, then he nodded his head and fell back asleep. A soft, fond smile spread over the teenager's face before he bent down further to plant a light, paternal kiss on the child's temple. A twang of jealousy made the mother's hands fist as the teenager turned to grab a shepherd's crook leaning against the dresser. The teenager only took a step forward before he came to a halt, eyes falling upon the mother standing in the doorway.

Obviously having not heard the mom's measured and quiet opening of the door, the teen's face went completely blank as his jaw parted slightly. As unreadable as his expression was, the mom's emotions were clear as day. Her blindsided face faded only to contort into a mix of anger and astonishment. The teen, mouth previously gaping like a water-starved fish, now winced. He ran a hand through his snow-white hair and opened his mouth to speak up.

The mother immediately held up a stern finger. "Downstairs," she said between clenched teeth. "_Now_."

Gulping with both dread and guilt etched in his features, the strange teen kept his staff and head low, brushed passed the mom, and made his way down the stairs. As soon as his bare feet touched the dining room floor a hand connected sharply with the back of his head. He yelped and spun to face the furious woman.

"Look," the teenager held up his hands in defense. "I'm really sor-"

"What," the woman seethed. "are you doing in my home?" Her anger made the teen back up until his tailbone met the edge of the dining table. Then, the mom blinked. "If you hurt any of my kids-"

"No," the teenager said frantically. "I would never do that, I promise. They're my best friends."

"Friends," she scoffed. "Who the heck are you?"

Jack cleared his throat out of nervousness, and etiquette. "I'm Jack Frost," he said, grinning sheepishly and extending a hand. "Nice to meet you." _Excellent, Jack. This woman looks like she wants to destroy you and you say it's a pleasure meeting her._ Jack rolled his eyes at his thoughts.

The mother stared at the hand in front of her, eyebrows raised and lips tilted in a grimace. "You've got to be kidding me…," she grumbled.

"'Fraid not," Jack used his extended hand to scratch the back of his head. "By the way, I'm sorry about turning your house into a winter wonderland while Jamie was sick. We were sledding down the steps and things got carried away."

The scowl never left the woman's face. Perhaps the teenager's name was 'Jack Frost', like in Jamie's stories, but the teen certainly didn't hold any magic. That wasn't possible. However, she did find it only slightly possible that he caused the snow. A kid Jamie's age couldn't bring about something like that, plus the mom was simply desperate for an explanation.

"You owe me a new couch, _and_ a new laptop." She gestured to the computer setting on the table. "This one I'm borrowing from my boss, and he's already at wit's end with me."

Jack scratched the back of his head again. The winter spirit still didn't have a handle on the current working world. He found it silly and confusing as to why most of the world departed from essentials like farming and fishing to work with machines and in power plants. Whatever the mother's job was, Jack never really asked about it. Despite his ignorance, Jack could clearly see how much the mother needed this job.

Jack pursed his lips, staring at the laptop. The mom watched him closely. She could see Jack's eyes moving a little, calculating and thinking over her predicament.

"How on Earth did you make it snow…_in_ my house?"

"I just opened a few windows," Jack said, only gave her a side-glance with curiosity now tearing his eyes away from the laptop and around the room. Jack had been inside the house many times, but the awkward moment and standing still weren't agreeing with his impatient nature.

"It's spring," the woman remarked.

Jack brandished his staff. "I used a little magic, too," he said before turning to look at the disbelieving woman. "You okay?"

The mom shook her head and placed her palms on the tabletop. She groaned, closing her eyes and assuming the effects of staying up too late were to blame. "This is not…," she whispered, and then pointed to the door. She hoped by simply showing him the exit would make this heinous hallucination go away. "Just, please. Leave."

She heard Jack chuckle. "Don't believe in magic," he whispered. "But you can see me. Now _that's_ a combination."

She tossed a look in his direction. "What do you mean," she demanded. "Of course I can see you."

"Obviously," Jack smiled, leaning casually against the kitchen countertop not too far from the table. "Otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation." Jack reached far behind him to flick a dial on the stove, igniting a steady flame under a metal teapot.

"What're you doing?"

Jack tilted his head. "Isn't this how you make coffee?" The spirit looked at her pallor, exhausted face. "You look like you could use some."

The mother shook her head. "All out. And everyone uses coffeemakers now."

Jack shrugged. "What about hot chocolate?"

The mother watched as the teen reached into a certain cupboard and brought out two packets. Too tired to ask how he knew where it was, she only nodded. Wasn't she just asking this kid to leave?

Jack set to work bringing out two mugs and shaking chocolate powder into each. Jamie was the one who showed Jack around the kitchen. When the mother had to work late and Jamie and Sophie were home alone, Jack took it upon himself to learn a bit of cooking. And while he hasn't gotten much further from cooking macaroni and cheese, he knew the basics. Additionally, he always made sure to know where the hot cocoa supplies were, a beverage that soon became a favorite.

At the whistling of the kettle, Jack poured the steaming water into the mugs, rounded the counter and presented a mug to the woman. She smiled briefly and took a few sips. Jack matched the grin and took a seat across from her, idly stirring a spoon in the mug. Every now and then he would blow on it, but he'd yet to drink it.

"So, uh," Jack piped up when his eyes fell back on the laptop abandoned to the corner of the table. "What'cha writing?"

The mother swallowed a mouthful of the drink. "It's for a magazine. I'm supposed to write an article every two to four weeks. It can be about anything, but I prefer nonfiction." The mother heard Jack grumble under his breath. "What was that?"

"It's just," Jack said. "If it were me, it'd be fiction. More fun and easier, in my opinion." Jack barked a laugh. "Can't really back that up, though. I'm terrible at writing. Just ask Jamie; he's still teaching me."

"Jamie's teaching you how to write," she asked, eyeing his older teenage form.

"And a little bit of reading still. You've got a smart kid up there." Jack smiled fondly, pointing to the room above them.

The mother nodded. "How do you two know each other?"

Jack pursed his lips, searching for the least confusing words. "Has Jamie ever said anything about 'the last light'," he asked, knowing that Jamie had already said a number of things regarding their adventures together. The mother shook her head.

"Okay," Jack breathed, setting the mug down and wiping his hands together. "Long story short, Jamie was the last kid to believe in the Guardians, and I made it snow in his bedroom to help him believe again." _And the Boogeyman also attempted plunged the world into darkness, and almost 'snuffed his light out', but that's beside the point._

The mother scoffed at his story. "Just as imaginative as my kids," she muttered. "I'm sorry. What was your name again?"

"Jack Frost," he said, retrieving his mug of hot chocolate. "Jackson Overland Frost, if you want specifics."

"You mean to tell me," she said slowly, enunciating every other word. "that you're _the _Jack Frost."

"I don't know too many others named Jack Frost."

"_You _make it snow," she clarified. "_You_ make the frost, _you_ bring winter? Right," she rolled her eyes. "And _I'm_ friends with the Easter Bunny."

"Coincidence," Jack said, laughter appearing in those blue eyes. "I am too…unfortunately."

The mother ignored the quip and looked at both mugs. "Aren't you going to drink yours?"

"Yep," Jack nodded, taking the spoon out of the mug. "I was just waiting for it to cool."

With that, Jack's spoon dove into the chocolate, and the liquid that was expected was replaced with a solid chocolaty scoop, similar to ice cream. The mom went slack-jawed. "Warm food doesn't exactly agree with me," Jack explained.

"You just froze that," the mother said redundantly. Jack shrugged and continued munching on the now frozen chocolate. The mother slumped back in her chair, eyes downcast to her still steaming mug.

She could no longer count on her fingers how many times she'd see frost in random places in the house, how many times the name 'Jack Frost' was mentioned, or how many times Jamie said he was going to play in the snow in spite of whatever season was going on. She faded out of her reverie when she noticed decorative spindles of frost snaking around Jack's chair and even onto the edges of the table.

"My gosh," she breathed. "You're Jack Frost…"

Jack abruptly looked up from his drink and pushed the mother's mug further toward her. "Maybe you ought to drink some more of this. You're looking paler than me."

"Everything Jamie said," the mother realized, ignoring the beverage. "is true. And he's been saying it for _years_." She suddenly looked closer at the winter spirit. "The kids always say you hang out with them. Wouldn't you rather hang out with kids your own age?"

"Don't suppose you know any kids who are three-hundred years old?" Jack let out a chuckle at the woman's gaping. "Teenagers can't see me. Not many kids can see me either," Jack added, curling a knee up and against his chest. "We're still working on that one."

"Adults can't see you either?"

"Nope. You're the only one who believes I exist. How in the world that happened…"

"But you definitely exist. So, why can't people see you?"

"I'm invisible to almost everyone." He paused. "I'm just an _expression_, remember?"

The mother's eyes instantly closed regrettably at the memories of telling Jamie time after that Jack Frost didn't exist.

"Don't get bent up about it," Jack shook his head kindly, albeit distantly. "It's what everyone says. I'm just happy to have the believers I have now."

She shook her head good-naturedly. "The kids never stop talking about you. Jamie, especially."

"Yeah," Jack chuckled. "He's like a little brother to me, you know. He was the first human to see me in three-hundred years. He's the reason why I became a Guardian."

The conversations continued from there. Most of her questions consisted of the Guardians; who they were, what they did, and what they _guard_. Jack answered to the best of his abilities, and whereas most questions were easy, others weren't. History wasn't Jack's strength, and it was only now did he realize his lack of knowledge regarding the Guardians' origins. He knew a bit of North's and some of Bunny's, but Tooth and Sandman were a bit of mystery. He'd be sure to ask them about it later.

Then came the questions about the Boogeyman, which spiraled into the fiasco of that fateful Easter. Of course, she hadn't seen the Nightmares rummaging through the night sky or the gold sand furling through the town. Every adult wrote off that night as a strange thunderstorm.

"And that's how Jamie pretty much kept us in existence," Jack said, ending the story at the part where Jack became the Guardian of Fun.

The mother shook her head, trying to adjust her mind to such impossibilities. And every time she would second guess herself, Jack would fidget with his frost-covered staff, make a snowflake out of thin air, or have a few a more bites of his frozen drink.

She felt a chilly hand resting on her shoulder. "He's real special, you know, your son," Jack said, looking her in the eyes. "He means a lot to me."

"You said you visit him the most," the mother mused. "Why?"

Jack chuckled. Here came the fun part. "I kind of have to," he said. "We're bonded, so I can't exactly leave him alone for too long."

"What's 'bonded'?"

He used the crook of his staff to tap the side of his head. "Magical connection," Jack explained. "If an immortal becomes fond of someone – almost always a human kid – they establish an unbreakable link between each other."

"Is that all?"

Jack shook his head. "Depending on the immortal's powers, several things could come with it. It also depends if there's a human involved." Jack paused to take in her blank expression. "Since Jamie and I bonded, we not only share thoughts with each other, we also share emotions, can detect each other's location, and he also possesses some of my powers."

"My son doesn't have any powers." Surely the mother would've seen Jamie use any kind of magic.

Jack smiled and shook his head. "You should've seen the blizzard he made last Christmas. It almost bested my Blizzard of '68." Jack suddenly cringed. "The bond also messes with his growth spurts, too. Sorry about that."

"You're the reason why he's not growing," The mother almost demanded, temporarily forgetting about the aforementioned blizzard.

"I really am sorry," Jack said, looking away. "I see how other people look at him, how bullies treat him. That's why there was another snowstorm a few weeks ago. I let my anger get the better of me." Jack exhaled. "I can protect him from Fearlings, Pitch, and his own clumsiness, but bullies are my main problem…and his powers, too."

"What's wrong with his powers?"

"Nothing," Jack said. "He's still a bit shaky with his abilities, but I'm also downright overprotective." Jack propped his hands behind his head in an almost proud manner. "Jamie doesn't call me 'the nanny' for nothing, I guess."

The mother belted an exuberant and, from what Jack could tell, a much-needed laugh. "I think I could see that," she nodded, but her serious demeanor began to return. "When will he start looking older?" A brief picture of little Jamie coming home from middle school with a black eye flashed in her mind.

Jack pursed his lips. "No idea. He should be looking older by now. North said Jamie would need extra years for his magic to develop, but even I agree this is getting a bit ridiculous." Jack already told Jamie that he was going to see North, but everything the Guardian told Jack in regards to the bonding process was either the exact opposite or slightly skewed. Perhaps it was just different for every bonded pair. Jack explained this to the worried mother, but it hardly consoled her.

"Let's make a deal," Jack eventually decided. "You focus as much as you can on your work." He jabbed a thumb at himself. "And I'll look after Jamie. It _is_ my job."

"Not Sophie?"

Jack shook his head and grimaced. "I can look after her as needed, but it would probably turn into a territorial dispute."

"How come?"

"Because your daughter bonded with the Easter Kangaroo."

That, of course, opened up another conversation, which mainly consisted of Jack jesting the Pooka. And the mother could tell by his tone that it was all in good fun.

The mother exhaled. "My kids…are forever magically connected to two fairy tales…"

"So, nothing out of the ordinary, huh?" The mother chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "Hey," Jack grinned, pointing in her direction. "Now you have something nonfiction to write for an article, right?"

* * *

Jamie was the smartest kid Jack knew. He was the most understanding, as well, but to dump news like this into the little kid's ears…! Jack growled, landing on a sidewalk in Jamie's neighborhood to bang his staff irately againsth the ground. The shock and wind echoed down the vacant street; everyone was snug in bed and had not paid heed to the outburst. The only one who noticed him was the dream giver standing silently on a cloud of gold sand, high above the town and casting his dreams.

Jack and Sandy made eye contact and the winter spirit gave a thumbs-up with a forced grin. Sandy, used to Jack's moods by now, thought for a moment before matching the grin. He knew full well when Jack desired company and when he wanted to be left to his own thoughts.

Nodding 'goodbye', Jack flipped his hood over his head, turned heel, and strode thoughtfully down the lonesome street. He didn't visit Jamie the previous day, which ate at him. Not only did he hate being away from his bond, but it was also the kid's first day of high school, and Jack missed it for a meeting with North that he wished he never sought.

Jack ran a hand through his snowy hair, trying to find a way around North's words, a way to reverse them. However, the more he thought, the more the elder Guardian made sense.

Jack paused to watch a car round a corner. Before the car could make the turn its wheels started turning at top speed, but the car slid opposite way, gaining no traction on the pavement. With a startled gasp, Jack aimed his staff and a spark of white shot out and under the car. Not a second later, the vehicle gained traction again, speeding off down the street as if nothing happened.

Jack flew and landed on the pavement to the see the ice on the road melting away. The winter spirit looked right behind him to see Jamie's home. Jack scratched his head. It was yet another reason why North's words made sense.

Hiking his staff higher, Jack leapt off the ground, rode the wind a brief moment, then pushed a house window open and stepped inside Jamie's room. He had to catch himself from tripping over a backpack and new textbooks. He glanced to his left to see the younger boy slumbering, fitfully rolling on the bed. Jack tugged at the collar of his hoodie and swung his staff, bringing a light snowfall and a needed drop in temperature to the room.

Sighing, Jack took the books, put them into the backpack, and draped it around a bedpost. He proceeded to go about the room putting toys away, stacking drawings together so as none got lost, re-tacking a few homemade posters to the wall, and putting a few discarded clothes into the dresser drawers. Jack chuckled, remembering the whole 'nanny' quip. When Jack ever felt he needed to be close to his bond, even while the younger slept, the spirit was never one to still too long. So, while it should be the mother's job, Jack took it upon himself to tidy up the room or even take some blank paper and crayons to draw on or practice his writing and reading.

Jack heard Jamie mumble in his sleep, and the child ceased tossing on the bed. The cooling temperature of the room was finally putting him through the REM cycle. And it was very contrary to the reason why Jack was there. Going against his instincts to take care of him, Jack made the snow stop falling, and the warmth of the night almost immediately raised the temperature. Jamie all but growled in his sleep and Jack was taken aback when the snow started up again.

Jamie still had trouble with his powers. He was a patient student and was always eager to learn, but he couldn't consciously control things just yet, and when he purposefully practiced them he would overexert himself. Things started out little with bits of frost here and there and a few patches ice would mysteriously appear in his classrooms and hallways. However, things were becoming more obvious. His mother would come into his bedroom to find a decent layer of snow almost every morning. Not that she minded now with her new understanding of her son's abilities, and Jack's ever-present visits. The biggest problems erupted with him shooting ice from his fingertips when being hassled by bullies, accidentally freezing some school chalkboards, involuntarily forming ice on the road, and there had been two freak blizzards during the previous summer.

Jack shook his head, swung his staff again, and forced the snow to stop, whether Jamie wanted it to or not. The bed springs creaked and moaned as Jamie shifted uncomfortably until he finally gave in to consciousness and slowly sat up. His agitated mood dissipated upon seeing his best friend.

"Hey, Jack," Jamie's voice croaked from sleep.

"Hey-a, kiddo," Jack responded, pulling back his hood and hovering to land next to Jamie's bed to give him a chilly hug. The Guardian of Fun's welcoming demeanor fell as he sighed. He grabbed Jamie's shoulders, and forced him to lock eyes with him.

Jamie's grin faltered. "What's wrong," he asked, then blinked. "Don't beat yourself up about missing yester-"

"It's not about that," Jack said flatly. "This is something…different." Jamie just stared at him. Jack exhaled, his hand falling on the bedpost that held the backpack. Yet unknown to Jamie, the kid wasn't going to need that kind of stuff any longer.

"I don't think school will be an option tomorrow."

Jamie's face lit up adorably. "Early snow day?"

Jack chuckled humorlessly. "Call it…an _extended_ snow day."

Jamie tried to imitate the laugh, like any little brother would. "Jack, what's going on?" Jack sat across from Jamie on the bed, staff still in hand as if ready to take off.

Jack told Jamie about his most recent visit with North, that he told the older Guardian about his lack of aging. Both Jamie and Jack knew his stunted growth would definitely prove to be a challenge, but they assumed they could always work around that. But the child was barely aging, if not at all.

Jamie shrugged. "People talk about it, yeah," the kid agreed. "But they've gotten used to it."

Jack shook his head. "They're still curious about it. I sometimes hear talk when I do my rounds through Burgess. Of course, I just start chucking snowballs at them whenever they get too in depth." Jack paused to let Jamie chuckle.

The Guardian also reminded Jamie of his powers, how volatile they still were. "We've been practicing," Jamie remarked, though. "I've been getting better."

Jack nodded, but still countered his words. "A lot of people are noticing weird stuff, and they realize most of it happens around you." Jamie winced. "Again, I'm hearing people talk, and the gossip is getting worse."

Burgess was a small town and word spread rather quickly. The last thing Jack wanted was for Jamie to become some sort of freak show attraction, or to end up in a science lab. As cliché as those ideas were, they weren't impossible. Jack would've blamed these thoughts on his own paranoia, but North, one of the most sensible of the Guardians, agreed with the spirit.

"Bunny's suggesting that you _study abroad_." Jack stopped, but continued at Jamie's bemused tilt of the head. "I talked it over with North, and he's the one who initially posed the suggestion...

"We all agree that you should leave Burgess."

Jack's old friend, the wind, immediately stopped howling outside, covering the two boys with a massive, stunned silence. Jack pulled his legs to his chest resting his closed eyes on his knees. He didn't dare look into Jamie's enraged face. Every now and then, Jack would feel the kid shift apprehensively on the bed. The winter spirit flexed his pale fingers, waiting for the shouting and anger to be unleashed from the still little boy.

Jack felt his thoughts travel back a few years.

_"I'm sorry," Jamie repeated, eyes closed in guilt. "It's all my-" He paused. "W-we bonded. And I didn't know... I-I must've-"_

_Jack inhaled when the chord inside him jolted. And before he could question this, Jamie finally met his gaze, and the chord jerked again. "I completely ruined your life." Jamie curled his legs and pressed his face against his knees._

The binding chord inside of Jack twitched almost painfully. The spirit took it upon himself to be the first to speak up. "I've completely ruined your life."

Jamie paused for a moment, then Jack felt Jamie's shifting come closer. It only stopped when two little arms wrapped around him. Jack finally looked over to see his kid's face buried against his shoulder. There wasn't a trace of anger on Jamie's face; not even a sad tear marred his innocent features. Jack brought his hands around, adjusted Jamie onto his lap while still accommodating his staff, and wrapped his arms tightly around the boy.

"You didn't ruin my life," Jamie muttered.

"Maybe not," Jack said quietly. "But this is a rather compromising little roadblock, don't you think?"

Jamie chuckled at his sarcasm before looking into his cerulean eyes. "I don't like this." Jamie shook his head.

"Neither do I." _I'm ripping you away from your home, for Moon's sake._

"There's nothing else we can do?"

"We can always go back in time and stop ourselves from bonding, but Father Time is hard to reach these days."

Jamie wasn't sure if that was a joke or not – he would be sure to ask about that later – but he was too scatterbrained at the moment.

Jack chewed his lower lip, trying to grasp reassuring words. "Your friends may be a bit of a problem, but visiting Sophie wouldn't be since she's always in the Warren. Your mom…"

"Whether she knows about you or not, she wouldn't agree." Jack nodded. The mother could now understand why Jamie would sometimes leave for hours at a time, she accepted the fact that his powers could get out of control, and she could just barely handle him skipping or leaving school on occasion. However, if her son had to practically vanish from her world…

Jack's habits were erratic. Aside from Burgess, he never stayed in a single town for too long. Jamie would be with Jack, and would have to abide by this. Therefore, it's not like the mother could visit them. And Jamie certainly couldn't come to Burgess to visit them, at least not until things died down, but Jack wasn't sure how long that would take.

Jack was ready with hollow advice, but the creaking of Jamie's window made him stop. Standing on the windowsill was the Sandman, arms crossed and looking dolefully at the two boys. Jack muttered to Jamie that the dream giver knew what was going on.

"Give us another few minutes, Sandy," Jack said. The Sandman nodded and whistled silently to himself, signaling that he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Jack looked back at Jamie. "Kiddo," he began slowly. "You understand all this, right?" _Of course, he understands! Don't belittle him._

Jack didn't mean to, but his Guardian and bonded instincts still saw him as semi-helpless little nine-year-old. And while Jamie was already in high school, he still appeared twelve years old and retained his innocence.

Jamie stared at Jack for a long moment. "When do we have to leave?"

The sound of ripping echoed through the tiny room and both boys turned to see a moving sand figure above the Sandman's arm. The sand was in the shape of a band-aid, with the action of putting the bandage on and ripping it right off. Quick, painless.

"Sandy said 'The sooner the better"," Jack related.

"But my mom-"

"He has it covered," Jack pointed to the other Guardian, who gave a sad thumbs-up. With a reluctant nod from Jamie, Sandy exited into the hallway in search of the mother's room.

The two boys set about going over the room, Jamie's now emptied backpack in hand, and walking about trying to decide what things would be necessary to take. Jack scratched his forehead with one hand and took a few drawings from the wall with the other.

"I think it's best to pack as light as we can," the winter spirit said, setting the drawings down and taking the leather cloak from Jamie's closet. After giving the kid some privacy, Jack turned around to face the now freshly clothed Jamie. Jack sat on the edge of the bed in front of the kid. "Your backpack might get lost in the wind," Jack explained as he tied the cloak over Jamie's shoulders.

"But my drawings…" Jack always pictured Jamie as a budding artist and knew that leaving behind precious crayon scrawls added heavily to his reluctance.

Jack took the stack of drawings from the table. "I'll take care of these."

Jack had already told the yetis which belongings Jamie would probably want to preserve, but not able to take with him. Jamie's hand dug through his dresser drawers, throwing clothes this way and that, trying to find the best outfits. Jack suggested that one set would be enough and that they could go to Laundromats during their travelling.

"_I don't like this_," Jamie repeated in his head as he stuffed some candy, a few sheets of paper, a pencil, and his emergency snow globe into his pockets.

"_I know_."

"_But I'm excited_," Jamie turned to give Jack a small crookedn grin.

"_Well_," Jack chuckled. "_How many kids get to have insane adventures with Jack Frost_?"

"_Lots of kids_," Jamie said, although most children couldn't actually see him. "_But not many have to leave home to travel with him_." Jamie brushed dust from his cloak and turned to Jack. He flexed his jaw, then opened his mouth. "Mom's going to be okay, right? What's Sandy doing to her anyway?"

"She'll be fine, I promise," Jack said, using a pale finger to cross his heart. He placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "And Sandy's just…" Jack pursed his lips. "saying 'goodbye' for you."

"I can't say 'goodbye' to her?"

"We…wouldn't want her waking up and asking questions."

Jamie threw a stare at his closed bedroom door, imagining one last look through the hallway he and Sophie once ran up and down, and then he looked to the window when the wind gently pushed it open. Jamie didn't even glance at Jack when he nodded, giving the all-clear to hit the road. Jack stuffed the extra set of clothes in his front pocket, grabbed under Jamie's shoulders, and brought him into his arms. They both took one final look around the room before the wind swallowed them into the outside world.

Jack Frost wasn't worried about what the mother would think in the morning. The Sandman was deep in the middle of using ancient techniques he hadn't used in years. He used his dream sand to manipulate the mother's mind, twisting and reshaping until the last remnants of Jamie were only cloudy dreams to her. However powerful Sandy's magic was, Jamie still existed in tiny fragments in her mind, but his foggy image was not enough to register in the woman's mind, to make her believe that she ever had a son, or that the Guardians ever existed. And Jack didn't have the heart to tell Jamie of this quite yet.

Though a couple hours until dawn touched the sky, the yetis worked through the night to clear out Jamie's bedroom, emptying it of everything aside from a stripped bed and two barren desks. Jack had told the yetis to save certain stuff, which they happily agreed to. The excess things were brought to Toothiana's home to be put in the Room of Memories. Anything left behind in the house could prove confusing to the mother as well as trigger memories of Jamie, leading to a painful realization that her son was gone.

Several months prior, after writing the magazine entry about the Guardians, her articles were becoming big hits, leading to a sudden raise in pay. This came together when she was able to buy better food for her children, and could really begin paying off taxes and a loan. Now, with one less kid to look after, she would soon find herself with even less financial troubles.

Sandy departed the mother's room, dusting his hands off as he soon realized he would probably have to wipe minds from a few townsfolk. Yet, the dream giver wouldn't even be bothering with the tight security of the school system. No, that would be North and his yetis' job.

With his initial work now done Sandy exhaled and, too, glanced around Jamie's bedroom in farewell. After a delayed, unsure moment, the Guardian slowly floated to the window, making his way into the night to spread more dreams.

No one heard the drawn-out click of the closing window.

* * *

_* ...And this story is now labeled as...**complete**. And will continue on into "Reapers Realm", which I can almost absolutely focus on now. To those of you who put in requests, thank you all for the inspirations. To those of you who put in requests that were never done, I infinitely apologize. However, after "Reapers Realm" is completed, I've already thought about making another story along the lines of "The Bond: Part 2". Mind you, that's a big 'if', but it would allow me to get to your suggestions._

_You guys are awesome! I expected this story to get fifty reviews max, but when I saw the number hit two-hundred I was this close to fainting. To all who have alerted/favorited/read/reviewed, I can never ever thank you all enough. It makes my day to receive consctructive criticisim. Just thank you for sticking with the story this long...!_


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